Lost
by blue c 84
Summary: Crossover fic Firefly/ Roughnecks Starship Troopers Chronicles:: The roughnecks get blasted and lost in space-- only to be found by the crew of the Serenity
1. In the Black

RSTC/ Firefly:: Lost

"Food." Carl Jenkins quickly answered.

"Hot shower." Dizzy Flores grinned.

"One of those hot and cold gel packs would be nice." Jeffrey Gossard turned to the medic beside him. "You know what, I used to think they couldn't make those marauder seats more uncomfortable." He slumped against his seat even further.

Doc Lecroix shrugged. "Tell you what. I'll get you that pack from the infirmary, if you do something about those seats." He replied.

"Deal." The mechanic nodded without another thought.

Max Brutto smirked. "Sounds like you're getting old, Gossard. Maybe it's time to retire." He teased.

Gossard rolled his eyes. "You want a turn in the bus, _Maxi_?" He emphasized the younger trooper's nickname. "Go right ahead. I'm warning you though, there's a level of coordination needed to move that thing." He wagged a finger knowingly.

"Psh." Brutto waved the concern away with a hand. "I'm an All- star buddy.I've got hand eye coordination in spades." He stated proudly.

"Who said anything about hand- eye?" The older trooper challenged smugly. "I'm talking about your brain with the rest of your body." He laughed out loud while the other troopers tried to hold back laughter. "You're lucky Sergeant Zim had that thing with the Marlowe. I'm sure would've loved to have seen that fall you took on the ridge and you fell onto a puddle waving your hands like mad talking nonsense." He barely contained his laughter.

"How'd you ever survive Hydora last week?" Higgins nervously joined in watching the trooper redden significantly.

"Why you little--"

"Zip it!" Lt. Johnny Rico ordered however obvious it was that he himself was trying to stifle his own laughter. "I mean it, Brutto." He added before the trooper could complain. "No raging out today. I'd like to get to the Valley Forge in one piece please." He smiled sweetly. "Sanity. Intact." He added. "In fact, I wouldn't mind sleeping like her." He pointed to the girl whose head was leaning against the shoulder restraint. "How exactly does Andy sleep anytime anywhere?"

Brutto's face relaxed to a sly grin. "She powers off." He replied dryly reviving an old joke about the girl being a robot.

However, the troopers' humour was shortlived. The ship violently jerked to one side silencing the group. The siren above the door to the cockpit swirled in furious red as ship trembled once more. "Roughnecks you better be strapped back there." The familiar voice of Carmen Ibanez echoed through the metal walls. "It's going to get bumpy."

"Dude, what's going on?" A sleepy Ashley Anderson faced the lieutenant rubbing one side of her head in pain.

"Good question." Rico frowned hitting a button on the panel next to his seat. "Carmen? What's going on?" He asked equally confused as the ship rocked again.

There was a moment of reluctant silence before the pilot replied. "We're under fire. " Ibanez spat out bitterly.

Rico's eyes widened in shock. "We're under fire?!" He exclaimed. "From what?"

"Transport bug with plasmas." Came the strained answer.

"What?!" The lieutenant repeated in panic.

"Helmets. Now." Ibanez ordered right before an explosion sent the ship spinning.  
-----

Zoe Washburne stared fondly at the plastic toys left on the dashboard of the Serenity. She can't remember exactly how many times she had to help her husband look for them after a particularly rocky landing or a chase or anything that remote rocked the ship. The toys weren't exactly strapped down.

"Wash, no offense, but why don't you just... stow them away?" She used to ask the red head on more than one occasion after handing him the last toy.

"Ah Zoe,"He would shake his head nonchalantly, wrap one hand around her , raise the other hand and motioned to the scene infront of him. "You see that big beautiful space?" He would ask wistfully.

"Sure." She would nod coolly.

Her husband's shoulders would drop and he would look at his lips pressed. "Well, it gets boring sometimes." He would confess dryly.

Zoe shook her head with a small smile at the memory. With a sigh, she admitted quietly to the empty cockpit that her departed husband was right. It hasn't even been an hour since she relieved the captain from pilot duties and she was more or less bored out of her mind. His specific instructions were-- "If something beeps wrong, holler." Well, nothing has beeped wrong just yet and there was still a lot of space to cover from wherever they were to Canton.

Gingerly, she traced the plastic spine of the stegosaurus with a grin. She looked back just to see that the door and the adjacent hall devoid of life. Satisfied, she picked up the two dinosaurs in the dash trying to remember one particular story that her dearly departed husband loved so much. "Ah, yes, this is good. Um..." She paused cringing as the words started to come like Wash was coaching her from behind. "This is good." She nodded bobbing the stegosaurus. "This is a fertile land. And we will thrive... We will call this land..." She paused again not recollecting what he called the land beyond "This land"

She raised the T-rex and changed her voice. "I think you should call it you're grave!"

The conversation was clearer to her now as she started bobbing the other toy again. "Ah! Curse your sudden--"

"Curse who, Zoe?" A voice suddenly made her back straighten quickly placing the toys back. "You not be cursing me now are you?"

She glanced to see a humoured man looking down at her and the toys. "Of course not, Captain." She answered looking away.

"Good." Captain Mal Reynolds grinned picking up the stegosaurus. "Because, I wouldn't want to --" He cleared his throat. "Curse you for your sudden but inevitable betrayal." He finished the dinosaur line she had started.

Zoe looked at her lap trying not to laugh along with the captain. When she looked back up, a gray speck in the distance caught her eye. Suddenly, the firefly rocked. Something was grating against the hull of the ship.

"What was that?" He asked bewildered.

"I think it came from there, sir." Zoe replied pointing at the growing gray speck while giving the pilot's seat to him. It was all business now.

She watched as he tried to search the on board computers for some answers but the answer confused them even more. "It's Alliance?" Zoe was taken by surprise. The computer identified the ship was one of the Alliance's but it didn't have any markings that they knew of. The computer couldn't even identify the model. The fact was, the pair had never seen an Alliance ship like this before.

"Is that a ship?" A curious girl asked behind her. "Never seen that before. Is it Alliance?" She questioned. A smile broke upon her face. "Is it new? Can we check it out?" She added excitedly.

Zoe eyed the girl carefully. "We don't know make or model, Kaylee." She stated plainly.

The mechanic just shrugged coyly. "Aw hell, it ain't like she's going anywhere. She's dead on the water." She pointed at the ship. "See there? Starboard side engine is missing-- completely ruined. Betcha hull's breached, poor baby."

"Figure that's what we went over." Mal sighed. "Zoe, tell Jayne we're going to scavenge an Alliance ship." He decided grinning from ear to ear. "Might be something there we could sell."

-- -- -

Dizzy Flores winced at the bright light that filtered from the storage bay. She moved to touch the hands of her friends beside her alerting them that someone had found them. Her smile faded when she saw the figures that emerged. She didn't recognize the uniform of the men that came in. Their suits were bulky with padding and layers of rubber like they were haphazardly sewn together. She couldn't believe it actually worked.

It didn't matter. SICON or not, it was a miracle that someone had been able to find them before the power in their suits drained. Even when they adjusted their power suits to use as little energy as possible, there was always a chance that nobody would find them-- that they were just delaying the inevitable.

"Roughnecks." She heard Rico whisper over the comm.

Three men came in. One slightly smaller than the other two. She couldn't hear what they were saying but they paused in the middle of the aisle that ran between the benches where two rows of troopers sat still. Waiting. The largest one decided to lower himself to check the stone- like Max Brutto across her. The man's hand tilted Brutto's head back.

"Ho!" Everybody answered loudly coming to life just as Brutto's restraint came swinging upwards hitting the man's jaw squarely. He stumbled backwards. Dizzy pushed him back to the center where his friends had their guns drawn aiming at every trooper that had their morita at the ready. They were outnumbered easily.

"Carmen, Higgins, Brutto. Take away their weapons." Rico ordered slowly moving forward himself to make sure the person he had infront of him felt that the morita's nozzle was right against his back. A threat not to do anything funny. Dizzy watched the three collect the guns quickly.

"Doc, Gossard. Escort them out to their ship first." Doc and Goss pushed the three to the storage hold. The Roughnecks carefully filed out following their lead with weapons ready. And within a few minutes, Dizzy found herself awestruck and confused in their prisoner's ship.

-- -- - -

Inara Serra had seen many things in her life as a companion but she's never seen Alliance officers like these before. She stood in line with Kaylee and Simon with a gun on hand in the bay just like Mal had told Kaylee to do. River was half hidden behind Simon peering at the soldiers that had taken the captain, Zoe and Jayne hostage. As the three came back followed by the nine in form fitting military like suits she couldn't identify, she had exchanged shocked expressions with the two more soft spoken crew members.

"We're humped." Kaylee mumbled.

The companion shook her head. Sometimes, she wished that Mal would just think things through.

Slowly, she watched everyone take their helmets off. But the soldiers still had their dangerous looking rifles aimed at all of them. Inara knew why Mal hadn't done anything yet. They were sorely outnumbered by these Alliance men. She knew that if there's one thing Mal was concerned about, it was protecting his crew.

But it helped knowing that his life was in danger too.

"Houzi de..."Mal let his curse trail as a nozzle nudged him forward. "Don't push me around in my own ship, gorram it." He exclaimed in frustration. From where she stood, Inara noticed something peculiar. One of the soldiers, a dark haired girl, tilted her head to one side ever so slightly.

"Lost." River murmured behind her brother.

"Tell your people to put their guns down." The young man holding the rifle to the captain said calmly.

"You folks put your guns down!" Mal rolled his eyes in anger.

"Look, we're not looking for trouble here. I didn't even know civilians are allowed to fly in space. We're just--" the man continued.

"Sure." The captain cut him off sarcastically. "Wo xiangxin ni."

"We just need to contact the Valley Forge or anyone in SICON so they can get us out of here." The man finished with a small nod.

"Son, I have no idea what you just said." Mal huffed.

The man groaned in dismay. "Then just tell them to put the weapons down so we can talk." He suggested impatience starting to mount in his voice.

There was a moment of silence before the captain conceded. "Put 'em down." He grumbled reluctantly.

"But Captain, we can't have Alliance...." Simon started to argue.

"You want to take them? Go right ahead." Mal said with a cheeky shrug.

Inara couldn't help but be fascinated with the new comers. "Roughnecks, stand down." was all the leader had to say for all the other eight to silently and efficiently store their weapons behind them. It was a kind of precision she had never seen even on the core planets. If it wasn't clear to anybody else, it was to her. They weren't dealing with people from the Alliance. They were something else entirely.

"Great." The man said. The relief on his face was eminent. "I'm Lt. Johnny Rico of the Strategically Integrated--" He started. But when Mal turned to face him, he also had a fist ready to hit this lieutenant hard and fast. But this man named Johnny Rico was faster. Not only had he dodged the captain's surprise assault, but he had also thrown him over his shoulder and had him pinned to the ground with a handgun to his head before anybody else could move to help him. Not that Zoe or Jayne or any of them could. The other eight had already retrieved their weapons.

"Oh Mal..." She moaned disapprovingly.

"Wow." Kaylee marveled at the scene beside her. "I ain't seen moves like that-- ever."

"Are they even... human?" Simon slowly made his way to them with River in tow.

"We're definitely humped." The mechanic said.

"Let's try this again." The newcomer sighed. "I'm Lt. Johnny Rico of the Strategically Integrated Coalition of Nations. SICON for short. Please don't try that again." He stowed the hand gun on his pack and let the captain go. The soldiers relaxed albeit more unsure this time.

"We ain't ever heard of no SICON." Jayne glared at soldiers as menacingly as he could. The rounder on nearest him took a quick step back. "Dong ma?" He growled.

"Wha- what?How? SICON controls the whole known world?" The soldier asked Jayne whipping out some sort of device. "And what's a dong ma?"

Zoe crossed her arms looking equally bewildered. "Not this one, boy" She replied facing her superior with arched eyebrows. "Captain?" She called out seemingly exasperated by the whole event.

"Like Jayne said." He faced the smaller leader. "Never heard of 'em."

Inara watched their faces fall one by one as their strict discipline melted away. Two, a red head girl and a very pale boy moved towards their leader and they began quietly talking. One girl, the same girl that showed a reaction just a little while back, stood stayed in her place looking like she found something was very interesting on the ceiling. However, several of them looked to the only lady in a black suit.

"Great Ibanez, you flew us in to an alternate universe." One of the smaller well built men said wryly.

"You'd rather be space dust, Brutto?" The girl defended herself.

"Look, maybe Goss can find some parts in this heap and get the comm link fixed so we can hail fleet." The darker man suggested.

The man beside him looked around shaking his head. "I don't think that's possible." He shrugged. "This ship is... old school."

"Hey!" Kaylee suddenly erupted. "Serenity's special."

"Besides," the red head girl crossed her arms. "What do you say? Hello Marlowe? Plasma bug blasted us back to wild wild west." She shrugged.

"Yeah, where are we anyway?" The pale headed boy asked Mal.

Inara smiled watching how the stares of these soldiers made Mal shift uncomfortably. "We just came from Persephone to do a job in Canton?" He offered sounding uncertain. Although she was sure that he was now just humouring the confused people infront of him now that they didn't seem to be interested in doing anything else except getting things in order. River was right. They just really seemed lost.

"Where?!" The boy beside Jayne reacted first.

"Okay okay okay." The lieutenant raised one hand to his soldiers while massaging his temples with the other. "Who knows anything about..." Then he sighed when he caught the blank faces staring back at him. "Andy, please tell me you know something." He eyed the raven haired girl looking at every inch of the bay area.

She gave her superior a small sly smile. "I'll do you one better later, L.T." She nodded. "Duibuqi," She bowed slightly to the captain surprising them all with her small gesture of respect. "We need to get ourselves to Ariel if it's possible." She requested

--

some translations :)

houzi de... = monkey's ...

wo xiangxi ni= i believe you

dong ma?= "do you understand" or shortcut "understand?"

duibuqi= i'm sorry/ excuse me


	2. Welcome to Serenity

RSTC/ Firefly:: Lost

Chapter 2: Welcome to Serenity

Ashley Anderson was the last one in the dining area. She placed her pack, now considerably lighter because they left the weapons on the cargo hold, on the dinner table watching the rest of the Roughnecks make themselves comfortable leaning on counters and posts beside the table and the ship's crew members sat down on their chairs. Quickly, she tried to make her way to hang out beside Bobby Higgins before anybody could notice.

To no avail.

The captain had spotted her make her get away. "Hey, hold on this gorram minute." He pointed at her. "You think you can explain all this mess to us, go ahead girl. We're waiting." He placed both his legs up on the table.

"Andy." Rico tilted his head to the empty space at the head of the table.

She took a deep breath and returned to her place putting both her hands behind her. "Hi, I'm Private Ashley Anderson. Andy." She nodded meeting the gaze of each judging crew member except one. She could swear that one girl was staring intently at the door behind her. "So, who wants me to explain what first?" She looked expectantly at the silent crowd. "You know, this is so much easier without a power suit on." She added when nobody said anything.

"Why don't you start from the beginning child." The striking military lady of the ship's crew suggested.

"What an existential answer." She joked in vain. Nobody laughed. But she had expected that. This really wasn't a laughing matter. Andy bobbed her head mulling where exactly she should. "See, a long time ago, there was this time that we're depleting the Earth's resources at the rate faster than what was thought to be the rate that the Earth could recover. Human beings were basically taking more than we're giving back. Kind of like the story of the Giving Tree." She took another deep breath. "Well, the countries of the United States of America and China-- they got together and did the math and said there would only be so much time that humans could live on Earth. So, they formed the Anglo Sino Alliance and pulled their brains and the places in space they've discovered together and went through with their plan. They terraformed these moons and planets and what not so that they'd be Earth like and humans can go on living in them." She eyed the confused troopers. "Kind of like Tesca Nemorosa. Only think that a machine gave it all that greenery by passing millions of years of evolution." There were more blank stares from the troopers. "It's like magic." She finally said.

"Anyway, so when these places were ready to be inhabited, the ASA took a majority of their population, left Earth, and relocated them there where they did their own thing." She revealed to the troopers. "These are those ASA people. Descendants, relatives and what not. Grew up in some weird mix of Western and Eastern culture. They actually speak Chinese besides from English."

"Wait." A smartly dressed man raised his hand slowly with a finger pressed on his lip. "Are you telling us that Earth- that- was is still, for lack of a better word, alive?" He asked slowly.

"We're all born and raised there." Andy answered carefully.

She watched the man lean back on his chair as if he was dealt a heavy blow. "Lies." He muttered to himself. "The Alliance taught us all lies." He looked to the ceiling in disbelief.

"If it makes you feel better, man, we're in the same squad as her and we didn't know anything about this." Dizzy Flores gave the man a pat on the shoulder.

"Actually, it was in the school curriculum. It's just that the most of the teachers skip that part and some books just have a page on it or skip it altogether. They just make it a passing example on the time humans were able to turn the tide and make a more sustainable future. This took a lot of digging in the archives." Andy cringed. "A lot of digging and I didn't even win that game that time."

"Andy, this Anglo Sino Alliance... are they still under SICON?" Higgins, ever the reporter, inquired.

"Autonomously, yeah." She replied. "There was some fuss about it because the ASA wanted none of SICON. But the second the bugs were confirmed in Pluto, ASA changed their minds. This place is under SICON but they get their own government, and do their own thing. All the ASA has to do is pay a certain percentage of their economy to SICON every year... the structure is like a colony or commonwealth of some sort. See, SICON actually has sensors on the fringe of this place just to detect bugs. We don't fly through here, ASA doesn't like it and we have bugs to worry about. So SICON doesn't meddle with the day to day much. But if bugs come, that's a whole different game." She ran her fingers through her hair at the dire thought.

"Let's pretend all this is true." The captain broke through the quiet. "Bugs. You keep yapping about them bugs of yours. What are they? They like Reavers?" He inquired.

"No sir." Andy shook her head. "Not like Reavers..." She trailed off shaking her head again. "No, sir. Bugs aren't even human." She said gravely. "Bobby can I borrow your camcorder?" She reached into her pack for a small computer and some wires. She quickly plugged the camcorder in to her computer. A few seconds of typing later, she swiveled the small screen to give them a better view of the reporter's latest videos of their last deployment. "Sir, those are bugs." She turned the volume up so they could hear the angry screams of the bug horde, the sound of plasma exploding in the air, the constant machine fire and the battle that ensued.

The ship's crew leaned in and crowded on the the small screen. They grew wide eyed in shock. "Shangdi you shenjingbing." The well dressed lady cursed much to the trooper's surprise.

"Well, what do they want?" The captain lifted his gaze to inquirer.

"The extinction of the human race." Rico replied.

-- -- - -

Captain Mal Reynolds wasn't an unreasonable man. He had taken in people of lesser quality in his day. People who say they're something but ended up to be something else entirely. Trouble tends to stick to him more than he would like. But carrying nine 'troopers', as they called themselves, to Ariel was more than an inconvenience. It was downright insane. Not only were they thinly connected to the Alliance, these people were entirely new to the system and it's customs, sticking out like a sore thumb. And Ariel was a core planet-- a place they would normally avoid traveling to at all cost .

They also couldn't pay cash.

Their lieutenant had offered him anything he wanted-- their 'power suits', weapons, rations, and whatever else they had in that derelict ship that left them floating in space. His main priority was to get his people back home safely. And that was something even the captain could relate to.

In the end, there was really only one clear choice. The captain led the Lt. Rico back down to the cargo bay where both their crews were waiting for their decision. "A little young to be a lieutenant aren't you?" He commented just as they passed the infirmary area.

The boy just shrugged. "Things tend to happen with the bugs." He answered sadly.

The captain decided not to pry. "Well I'm sure your crew---" He started to say but paused when a trooper started running right for him.

"Mal, Mal Mal Mal Mal." He heard Jayne call out underneath a helmet that said Goss.

"Jayne? What in the verse--"

Jayne took the helmet off grinning. "It's so light. You can go in the black in it and move proper." Mal could see his friend was extremely excited about the find. "And you don't get electrocuted and fried or anything wearing this." He pounded a fist on his chest. "Don't feel a thing. Zhende!" He marveled.

"Settle down Jayne." He reprimanded.

"But that ain't the best thing yet." Jayne continued on as they entered the cargo bay. "Mal, you ain't seen guns like this ever. It's got settings and things... and grenade launchers, and-- " He enumerated one by one checking his fingers with each weapon he can name.

Mal took a deep breath at what he saw in the cargo hold. Kaylee was talking to one man who probably lent Jayne his power suit. "Goss." One man had a camcorder pointing it at everything. Simon and a large dark man, the squad's medic he guessed, were taking a look at their lady pilot's leg. A pale soldier was right beside her holding his head while a red head looked after him. Inara was talking to a blushing boy. And the girl, Andy, had something in her ears sitting quietly on top of a crate like a child while looking at her small computer.

"Well, looks like they're getting along mighty fine." Mal gave Rico a small smile. "Good sign."

"And flame throwers." Jayne finished placing his hands on both his shoulders and turning him so that they could face each other. "Mal," He started looking a bit teary eyed. "I ain't ever asked you for nothing."

"Now that ain't true." Mal pointed out.

"And I ain't ever gonna ask for anything again." He continued ignoring the previous statement. "Can I keep one?" He begged.

"Hey! You in Goss' suit." The red head called out. "You know, if you like that kind of stuff, you should see the marauders."

The Captain watched Jayne's face change like he just received the verse's biggest paycheck. "You tellin' me there's more little girl?"

The girl just nodded. "Yeah, it's in the ship though." She pointed at the airlock.

Jayne released the captain and quickly moved towards the trooper. "Hold that thought Mal. Just hold that gorram thought." He grinned.

"Is he always like that when it comes to ammo?" Rico asked carefully.

"I've... never seen him so happy." Mal admitted. "It's kinda creepy looking."

"Maybe he shouldn't hang out with Dizzy." The lieutenant said.

"I'll take a note of that." The captain nodded. "Which one's Dizzy?"

"The one he's with right now." Rico managed to wince.

"We're humped." The captain watched as the two started talking animatedly about weapons.

"Captain." Zoe walked towards them. "What Jayne said about the flame throwers and rifles and what not-- they all have one a piece. Except for the pilot. She's just got the rifle. But that rifle ain't anything like we've seen here. Several settings with different ammo... " She pressed her lips together. "It's a wonder you kids don't topple backwards with all you're carrying."

"The power suits help." Rico smiled.

"Captain!" Kaylee skipped towards them. "See him? Gossard. He's an engineer. So I was thinking, if they stay, I could really use a hand fixing Serenity up. And maybe some of them parts in their ship could be fitted to Serenity and make her better." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Aren't you spoken for?" Mal questioned earning a look of reproach from the girl.

"Captain. It's for Serenity." She pleaded.

"L.T." The medic sighed. "Had to give Jenkins a sedative. His head was ready to explode. Ibanez has to lay off the leg and she's got whiplash. Brutto's got a dislocated shoulder and a mild concussion. He's not going anywhere. I have, what feels to be, a few fractured rib. Higgins is concussed too. See how he's not walking straight? Well, more unsteady than usual for Higgins. Andy asked for a painkiller because she's bruised all over. Gave Goss and Diz one too. Have to check you out " He shook his head lowering his hand held report. "Those restraints have no give. I'm surprised it isn't worse." He said.

"I'm surprised we haven't bought the farm." Rico replied.

"They're staying aren't they?" A small whisper from above asked.

Captain Reynolds nodded. "Guess they are kid." He replied. "Okay folks, your Lieutenant Rico and me-- we reached a deal." He announced putting everything to a standstill. "We're taking you to Ariel. In exchange, we're taking your suits, your rations, your guns, and everything else that we can salvage in that ship of yours. Now, our kind don't take too kindly to Alliance folk and it'll be best to remember that ." He eyed everyone of them carefully. "Now, my crew and I have a job to do in Canton. Be best if you all just stay put here. You don't exactly blend in much. There ain't enough beds for the lot of you so however you decide who's getting bed, some of you would just have to find a corner you're comfortable with. You're not allowed to be armed-- ever. If you so much blink the wrong way on the way to Ariel, gorram it, I will shoot you." He nodded.

"That's the deal Roughnecks." Rico continued on. "Did you get it?"

"Sir, we got it, sir!" The nine replied in unison making most of Serenity's crew jump.

"Zoe, we were never like that back in the day right?" He whispered to his second in command beside him.

"No captain. Never." Zoe replied.

"Good." He grinned. "Jayne, good news. You're salvaging that ship. Kaylee, take what you think you can use for Serenity. Do it fast. I want to get out of here before we get spotted."

"Gossard, Andy, Dizzy, gear up. We're helping them get out of here." Rico ordered grabbing his helmet from the top of a crate.

"Zoe, keep an eye out. If there's a sign of trouble, shoot first, ask questions later." Was the captain's cheeky order.

-- -- -

Brutto sat on the couch infront of the small clinic waiting for his turn to get bandaged up. "She's like, hot." He grinned dreamily at the ceiling.

"She's like, way out of your league." Carl Jenkins mimicked his squadmate's tone.

"She was talking to me the whole time Jenkins." He argued.

"Brutto, maybe I should start with that concussion first. There might be brain damage." Doc smirked placing another layer of bandage on Carmen's leg while the crew's medic, Simon, checked on her neck.

Simon shrugged. "I'm not surprised he's infatuated already. Inara has that effect on people." He informed the troopers. He paused what he was doing. "It's interesting isn't it? You live so far away with no knowledge of what it's like here and yet, you have the same reactions as everyone here." He mused.

"Well, we're only human." Doc replied dryly.

"No. I'm telling you she likes me." Brutto continued on his day dream.

"Brutto, you're crazy. Can't you see that girl's taken?" Carmen winced. "Bit too tight, Doc." She said feeling the medic readjust the bandages.

The youngest trooper snorted. "Sure. You're psychic, Ibanez? Here I thought Jenkins is the only mind freak around here."

Brutto watched the other doctor walk out of the tiny clinic to stare at the psychic beside him on the couch. "You're psychic?" He inquired carefully.

"Yeah, I think that's why he's got a splitting headache." Doc answered for his friend.

"Normally, I can shut everyone off to some low backround buzz." Carl winced massaging his temples once more. "But someone's been screaming random nonsense since we got here. It's kind of hard to ignore the calculation of pi when it's done through a loud speaker." He complained. "Doc, can I have another pain killer." He requested.

"I apologize." Simon frowned. "That's my sister. She can't really help it. The government did something to her and... I haven't found a way to help her control it." He returned back to Carmen's condition.

"I'll figure it out. I just need to get a handle on things." Carl sighed.

"You said the government did something to her?" Brutto asked curiously. "Like what? Cut open her brain?"

The doctor paused. "Among other things. Lobotomy. Incisions. They removed her amygdala." He answered grimly.

There was a small pause among the troopers in the infirmary. "That's..." Carl Jenkins trailed on thinking for a word.

"Not good." Doc supplied.

"Definitely." Ibanez added.

"Bummer." Brutto finished not exactly understanding what happened to the doctor's sister.

- -- - - -

Cheers rang from each corner of the cargo bay as the small girl placed her foot on top of the chest of a much larger fallen man. She raised her hands in victory grinning before catching a towel from her squad leader in mid air. "Sweep the leg." She exchanged high fives with the reporter. "Works every time." She smiled at the camera.

Jayne Cobbs breathed heavily as he slowly raised himself to his feet. "You don't play nice, little girl." He huffed unaccustomed to losing.

"Hey, like I always say," She shrugged proudly. "All is fair in love and hand- to- hand."

"C'mon girlie, zailaiyibian." Jayne folded his arms expectantly.

"What?" Both Rico and Dizzy asked at the same time.

Bobby Higgins looked up at Zoe Washburne equally confused. "Only Andy speaks chinese..." He explained with a shrug.

"He's asking for another go." Zoe groaned with dismay. "Jayne, she's all beat up from that ship of theirs and you still lost. Just take it in like a man." She suggested.

But the girl just stepped forward throwing the towel back to Rico before grinning at the camera. "Make sure you get this Higgins." She said much to older woman's surprise.

"Shouldn't you stop this?" Serenity's first mate demanded off the Roughnecks' lieutenant just as Jayne caught his opponent on a hold.

Rico simply shook his head with a knowing smile. "Believe me, it'll be useless. There's a reason why she's nicknamed Dizzy." He stated watching the girl loose herself from the man's grasp.

"Dizzy's not her real name?" Zoe eyed the younger man.

"Nope."

-- -- - -

"See there?" Kaylee asked the SICON engineer as they both looked the main engine of Serenity. "Well, that's where it used to sit. I took it away because, really, this ship don't need it." She chuckled. "So the captain gave him the boot and took me in instead." She smiled proudly as they both got on their feet. "How about you?" She asked.

"I think... " He got on his knees again to take a second look. "You need a new compressor." He stated . "Among other things." He added when a puff of steam streamed out above them.

Kaylee just looked up without much worry. "Yeah, she does that sometimes." She reached for a wrench. "But that's nothing. Just a few loose bolts that's all. Serenity always tells me when something big's about to happen." She said wistfully.

"Here, let me get that." He offered taking the wrench from her. "It'll help to get a feel of things. In fact, just sit there and order me around." He grinned. "I am your slave."

The girl giggled and but sat on the hammock in the corner of the room. "You'll get a hang of it you know." She nodded as she watched the other mechanic tighten some of the screws carefully. "Simon did. You'd never believe it but he came all proper, in a suit and rose coloured glasses." She giggled again at the memory.

"I have to tell you. I would never have figured your medic to be an optimist. He looks pretty serious to me." Gossard replied.

"No, no." She laughed. "Literally. He was wearing rose- coloured glasses."

-- -- - -

River Tam sat up on Inara's bed looking around as if she had never seen the inside of the companion's shuttle before. She slowly gazed upon the decadent decorations that lined the tiny living quarters searching for something that was not there. She was vaguely aware when the companion herself sat down beside her. "River?" She heard Inara's muddled voice call her.

"Music." She said leaving the bed tilting her head a little like she was looking for the sound.

"There's no music, River." The companion answered as she slowly followed the younger girl out the shuttle.

They made their way through the ship passing the cheers in the cargo bay, the stillness of the metal stair case and the laughter inside the engine room. River didn't pause to check what was happening around her. She hardly noticed that Inara was following her. The music was getting louder.

"Is that food?" The companion asked as they went through the hall leading to the dining area.

"The music is here." River told her although she could hear nothing of the sort.

When they stepped inside, they found one of the troopers tapping a bobbing her head to an invisible beat while fanning a pan with her hand. River smiled quietly taking a seat at the small sitting area at the far end of the room. She watched the girl lift a hand playing and invisible keyboard on the counter for a second.

"Whatcha all looking at?" Mal suddenly appeared by the entrance that lead to the cockpit. "What's that I smell?" He asked.

River's face fell. The music stopped.

"River said she heard music here." Inara answered motioning to the young girl sitting down in the shadows.

"I ain't hear nothing." The captain eyed all three of them.

Inara saw the girl tilt her head ever so slightly like she did awhile ago in the hold. "She's psychic, isn't she." She stated putting one hand up. "Sorry, I didn't know she was. CJ,--I mean Carl-- sometimes tells me when I'm ... humming... too loud... in my head." She phrased her answer carefully. "Sorry, my fault." She apologized again.

"Are these your fault too?" He grabbed a cookie from the cooling pan.

"Yeah-- i found some protein packs and cartons of what I think translates to egg substitutes starting to go bad in there so I figured you guys wouldn't mind a little reincarnation of cookies and egg pudding." She smiled optimistically.

"You should do more faults." He replied grabbing another cookie.

"Thanks... I think." She leaned against the counter top breathing a sigh of relief.

"I have a question for you Andy." Inara took two cookies off the pan and gave one to River. "If you don't mind me asking that is."

"Shoot."

"You didn't flinch when Mal talked about Reavers. How do you know all these things about our system when your friends don't seem to?" She asked curiously.

The girl shrugged. "I read a lot. It was in the archives-- just hard to find" She answered. "Oh! And a bunch of us found this guy hacking into Intel. " She recounted more animated now. "It was so weird. He was using such a low bandwidth that we couldn't finish any trace. He's that good but he was just browsing wasn't doing any harm so whenever we see him around, we get to talking. He tells the weirdest stories about those reavers and space pirates and fembots." Then she sighed sadly. "Haven't seen him around lately though, that cracker." She mused.

"What's his name?" Mal inquired suspiciously.

"He calls himself Mr. Universe." She chuckled shaking her head. "Cheezy name right?"

"Ta si le." The captain replied bluntly. "Alliance killed him."

"Oh." She took a cookie sadly. "That sucks. I... I guess he_ is_ everywhere now."

-- -- --

translations :)

Shangdi you shenjingbing= God's crazy! [ the long version= God has a mental illness]

Zhende!= Really! or It's true!

zailaiyibian = one more time/ again

Ta si le= he's dead.


	3. Users Pushers

RSTC/ Firefly:: Lost

Chapter 3:: Users, Pushers

Carl Jenkins lay awake on his bunk counting imaginary sheep. He couldn't sleep, not with so many new minds to get used to and filter out. One really loud thought in particular was broadcasting things like medical text, the exact calculation of the square root of two, waxing about infinity but in abrupt and random jumps from one topic to the next. It didn't help that he was sharing a room with Brutto. The younger trooper might be asleep but his inappropriate dreams were more forceful than usual. It was enough to make him nauseous. Partnered with the uncensored thoughts of River Tam, this whole situation was more than problematic.

It was impossible.

He decided that maybe he could convince Doc or the other Doctor, Simon, to drug him up so that he could get some shut eye. In fact, a chemically induced coma sounded pretty nice about now. He slid the passenger dorm's door open and shut it as he tried to remember his way around the ship. It wasn't hard. He noticed that most of the ways would end up in the cargo hold where there was a doorway leading to the infirmary. Worse comes to worse, he could always self medicate.

The psychic smirked. Of all the things he thought he would be, a drug user, borderline abuser, was not one of them.

He heard a faint but familiar thought pattern emerge as Brutto's faded away. Gossard's mind currently revolved around being amazed and confused about how the ship's mechanic went to keeping the ship afloat. Jenkins chuckled making his way to the engine room. Two Roughnecks can find one of the two medics on board faster than one. Worse case scenario, the mechanic can put him under.

"Gossard." He braced himself on the doorway seeing the mechanic scratching the back of his neck with a wrench.

Jeff Gossard took a quick glance back. "Oh. Hey, Jenkins." He greeted slightly pre occupied.

"Tough time?" He watched a puff of smoke come out from a panel.

There was an audible pause, but not a mental one. In his mind the mechanic was enumerating a number of things wrong, brilliantly missing, or insanely connected together. "You can say that." He finally replied.

"Well, have you seen any of the medics around? I need one of them to knock me out." He took a step back as another puff came out of nowhere.

"The Doctor Tam said he needed Kaylee for something but that was awhile back. If you know what I mean." He grinned suggestively. "I was with Doc a few minutes ago, helping him do his bandages. I left him on the couch down by the infirmary." He answered tossing the wrench back to the box. "Jenkins you don't look so good." He commented.

Understatement.

A hundred different crazy voices suddenly filled his head and he was trying to put it all out. Carl massaged his temples and took a deep breath. "Nah, I'll be--" He had barely said anything when a scream pierced through his mind like it would split it in two. He felt his knees give way as his hands instinctively went to his ears. It didn't help.

It's a good thing Gossard had caught him just in time to prevent him from hitting the metal floor. He really didn't need another injury. "Medic!" He could hear the mechanic's blurry voice yell. And that was the last of reality he knew.

The screaming grew louder.

-- -- - -- -

Zoe Washburne couldn't sleep. She hardly ever slept nowadays. She just closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She was going through the motions, as they say. Like everything about this ship, she was just drifting from one day to the next. So when the captain paged waking everyone up, probably forgetting that they now had nine other passengers on board, she was ready. All she had to do was will herself to do what she was told.

"Doctor, you might wanna look to your sister right about now. She ain't right." Came the dry voice of Mal Reynolds over the ship's comm. "Everybody else, go back to whatever it is y'all are doing. Zoe, Inara, a word with you fine ladies." He continued on a bit more wryly.

Something's gone wrong. Zoe was sure of it.

So when she went to the bridge, she was ready for everything. Simon was already there trying to calm his wide eyed sister rocking herself in the co- pilot chair. Kaylee was in the corner watching worriedly at the siblings. And the captain was just staring at the back and the dashboard instruments back and forth in disbelief.

"Captain." She greeted formally like she always did. Years of training didn't just wash off just because they did what they did.

"Zoe!" He left his seat and offered it to her. "Tell me your not seeing what I'm seeing." He started pacing behind her.

It only too one second for her heart sank. "That be Alliance cruiser, sir."

She watched him nod knowingly. "Yeah, I know." He said quickly. "Nage nuhai yao women dou zisha! Where's Inara?" He demanded without pausing.

"Stop yelling. I'm right here." The companion in question entered calmly.

"You don't tell me when I should or shouldn't be yelling." Mal pointed at the screen. "You tell us your old boy toy in Canton got a job for us and what do I see? Alliance cruiser. Take a good look. You tellin me this ain't a trap?"

"Fess doesn't even like his father. He wouldn't give us up." She replied eying the Captain. "In fact, he gave the security override codes to free us the last time we were around here."

"Is that how he paid? In kind?" Mal spat back.

"Not looking for not us." River rocked herself on the chair.

"Payment for what?" Jayne poked his head in. "We getting paid? Haven't done nothing yet. Not that I'm complaining."

Inara rolled her eyes in frustration. "Look, we can always not take the job. We can turn back. I'll just tell Fess we were held back somewhere" She suggested easily.

"Not us." The damaged girl shivered.

Kaylee nodded. "We have enough fuel to high tail out of here, Captain." She agreed. "Just give the word and I'll run back to the engine room and get Serenity ready to rabbit off."

"What's that beeping sound?" Jayne said suddenly. "Are we being hailed?"

Zoe groaned. "Captain we're being hailed." She confirmed. She watched her superior run his fingers through his hair nervously.

"Gorram it! Someone stop that thing from beeping. I'm trying to think." He growled but the incessant beeping didn't stop.

"Not looking for not us." River Tam whispered again.

"Not looking for not us." Simon's eyes narrowed before slowly standing to face the captain. "River is right." He placed a finger on his chin. "They're not looking for not us." He stated with much certainty that it surprised even Zoe.

"Ain't got no time for crazy talk, Doc" Jayne countered.

"No!" Simon argued. "It's not crazy talk. If someone that is not us answers then they might not find us." All he gathered were blank stares. "You have nine other people in this ship that can be not us... make something up. A story. Lie." He reiterated.

"You think that would work?" Mal turned to Zoe biting his lower lip with indecision.

The girl shrugged. "As oppose to what exactly, Captain?"

-- -- -

Johnny Rico never thought he would have to stand in the middle of a room being told what to do in rapid fire succession ever again. The last time this had happened, he was getting his share of spit from several drill sergeants in basic. This time, it was from space faring people, that until very recently, he didn't know existed.

"You just bought this ship but you're taking it back coz it ain't worth it. Haven't even had time to change the paint." Captain Reynolds told him as he was dragged up to the bridge.

"That's why ain't registered yet. Bought it off Canton you did." The second in command Zoe Washburne supplied.

"This is ship is a Firefly, model number... " The mechanic tried coaching but the man he recognized as Jayne took him by both shoulders and growled.

"Remember to say 'ain't.'" He emphasized with a nod. "Ain't."

He hadn't even had the chance to answer any of them or ask any questions when he was made to sit on the pilot's seat. Captain Reynolds just gave him a cheeky smile. "Earn your keep lieutenant." He said before flipping the switch and disappeared out of the bridge.

He looked straight ahead into the window panels expecting the officer's face to pop up like it does in the Valley Forge. Instead, the captain's small voice broke through the silence coming from behind. "Look down." He instructed.

The lieutenant did look down and was surprised to see a little screen with a uniformed officer staring right at him. Immediately, he knew what was happening. He didn't have any qualms that the people that had found them didn't everything by the book. The Captain had blatantly say that they were avoiding the authorities. They probably had a good reason. But he needed to get the Roughnecks back to the SICON part of the universe, and here was his opportunity to. The ASA men could most likely transport them to Ariel and send them back with not much fuss. All he had to do was give up the crew.

"Good day, officer." He said formally, deciding to just play along. Biting the hand that literally fed them didn't sit well with him either. Besides, it wasn't like he always played by the book himself.

"Captain, are you aware that your firefly is unregistered." The officer eyed him suspiciously not so different at how Sgt. Zim looks at him every now and then.

The Roughneck just gave the man the same caddish smile he gives the old sergeant-- it never really worked. "Well, I just bought it." He sighed thankful that it wasn't Zim that he was dealing with. "Truth is, officer, I'm trying to fly it back. Trying is the operative word." He crossed his arms. "I'm going to demand a refund. Maybe I'll even sue."

The officer raised his eyebrow at him. "Those are harsh words.".

"Well, there _ain't_ no truth in advertising anymore." He mentally congratulated himself for the incorporation of the word. "The guy said this ship was one, registered. And two, runs fine. Apparently, it's neither. When my mechanic got on board he said that it costs more to repair this junk than buy a shiny new transport." He tried to remember what Gossard had told him earlier that day.

The Alliance officer shook his head and chuckled. "Well where you headed to son?"

"Just off Canton, sir." He smiled.

"Word of advise," The man wagged a finger at the screen. "Don't get a firefly." And just like that the transmission ended.

Johnny Rico sank in his seat completely amazed at how that even worked. He almost felt like he just got himself off a traffic ticket. Policing was apparently very different here. The silence behind him told him that the ship's crew was thinking the same thing.

"Huh. Fine job, Lt. Rico." He heard Zoe enter the bridge once more. "Mighty fine."

"You could've given us up and got back home much faster-- but you didn't." The captain mused out loud. "I'm not sure if that makes you smart or not."

"Yeah, well... I have a question." He relinquished the chair. "Why are you not registered?" He asked curiously.

"Best you don't know the reason as to why, kid." The captain replied grinning.

-- -- - -

"Fresh air!"

"Gravity."

"Sun!"

"Land!"

"You know, there was this guy Sting that had a song about a fields of gold."

"So this is what fake Earth looks like."

"Looks pretty real to me."

"You know what the best part is? No bugs."

Smack.

"No bugs that I have to kill with a morita."

"This is so great."

Simon Tam couldn't help but smile watching the troopers march out the cargo hold. Most of them were just looking up at the blue sky basking at the sunlight. Canton was just a derelict settlement filled with mud, sand and rocks. The place was predominantly brown. Serenity landed on a piece of land in a shadow of a rocky formation on one side and a hilly landscape of tall weeds on the other. Yet the troopers were acting like they had just seen paradise.

"Awww." Kaylee suddenly appeared beside him. "Look at them. Ain't seen happier folk." She grinned lacing her fingers with his

"I guess they really were in space for a long time. This must be like a vacation for them." He watched their psychic take off his black jacket, just to make it into a ball and toss it to the lieutenant.

"Who wants to play?" Johnny Rico announced raising up the makeshift ball.

"I'll referee." Carmen Ibanez hobbled to sit on a rock.

"Brutto! You just got dirt on my lens." The reporter Higgins ran after the younger boy.

"That looks mighty fun," eyed Jayne.

"Kinda makes you feel fuzzy." Kaylee commented as the group started to split into teams.

"Well, fuzzy gets you killed round these parts." Mal crossed his arms against his chest. "But I don't care what they do as long as they ain't get spotted and do it all quiet like." He said loud enough for the troopers to pause for a second and move away from the entrance. Simon watched the captain smirk looking pleased at himself just like he always does when something has gone his way.

"Captain." Zoe reprimanded.

"What? It was a joke." Mal raised both his hands innocently. "Although, it would be nice if they did it quiet like." He started to move back into the ship. "I'm starting to think there's too much people around here. Zoe, Jayne, I want everything of theirs hidden from sight. I don't want the _ambassador's guest_ asking too many questions. Doctor, that includes your sister." His fading voice ordered. "Oh. And don't forget to look pretty."

"I think you maybe have your pants on too tight, Mal." Jayne teased. "Ta zenmeyang?"

"Maybe he just needs some milk." Simon suggested unable to contain the mischievous expression he had been holding back

-- -- - -

The first time Fess Higgins laid his eyes on the companion Inara Serra, he was amazed. She was wonderful. He was a twenty six year old nothing. He thought he would feel different now that he would be seeing her for the second time. After all, some time has passed. Things have changed.

But he knew now that he was wrong.

He had picked the place they were to meet. It was away from from the prying eyes of his father's staff and of course, his over bearing father. Amongst the rocky field of Canton, underneath the hot sun, she looked like a mirage at first glance waiting outside her shuttle. She was a beautiful sight made more so by the juxtaposition. She had invited him and suddenly, he was nervous-- just like he was the very first time.

Fess clutched the documents he had brought with him as they docked with her ship. He felt silly when she had coaxed him out of the shuttle to meet her associates. But the discomfort he felt now was more than he had ever bore before.

Right across the table sat Jayne Cobb, hero of Canton.

He tried to speak but found that no voice came out. To his eternal gratitude, the companion stepped forward to formally introduce them. "Fess Higgins, I'd like you to meet Jayne Cobb," she motioned to the man wearing an orange cap, "Captain Reynolds and Zoe," which was the tall man and grim woman behind the hero.

"What an honour to meet the lady's friends." He said putting his hand out to shake theirs. No one, however, came to reciprocate other than to eye him suspiciously. He took his hand back and simply smiled nervously instead.

"You got a job for us?" Captain Reynolds prompted.

He nodded laying down the documents on the table. "Yes, yes. I need you to steal the contents of my father's safe for me." He smoothed the crumpled edges.

Jayne Cobb's brows furrowed. He was really much bigger than the statue gave him credit for. "Say what?" He eyed him in confusion.

"You'd get your cut of course." He reassured the group as best he can. "It's just that.. my father." He sighed. "I don't really approve on how things are going with my father. And money is—"

"The why's you're business, boy, not ours." The Captain stopped him before he could go any further. "Now, Inara says you have a plan for us to follow? Is that right?" He prompted again.

"Aw C'mon Mal." Jayne complained.

"Now, Jayne. We came all the way here. It's not proper not to at least hear the man out." Captain Reynolds replied.

"Yes," He pointed at the maps he had brought with him. "Things have changed since you," he eyed the hero who merely sneered at him, "um... have been here. The security system has been upgraded." He pointed at the location of the vault. "Now, there will be guards here and here. One of them would have the keys. This is the security code for that would open the vault doors." He handed a slip of paper to the Captain. "Now, the tricky part is this area here behind the vault doors. My father had installed another security measure-- heat sensors that are activated after 10 seconds once the vault doors have opened. There is a keypad on the wall but only my father knows the combination." He sighed. "It changes randomly, I have no way to... However," He wagged a finger when he remembered what it was he was going to say, "However, I was inside with my father today and I have managed to spray a layer of film on top of it. It should buy some time." He finished with an optimistic smile.

"And you want this done tonight. Is that correct?" Zoe exchange her gaze between him and the maps.

"It's my father's birthday tonight." He answered. "Most of the guards will be around the party. Father has invited some politicians from elsewhere at the last minute. My attendance is mandatory."

Zoe held up her hand and started shaking her head. "Hold on there one second. You saying you want us to rob your father when there's Alliance men about?" He nodded and the girl frowned.

"Ge si! I ain't stepping one foot off this ship." Jayne decided haughtily.

"But you're Jayne Cobb!" Fess insisted. "I just want to make things better around here."

The Hero of Canton merely made a face. "Yeah then why don't you steal the money yourself coz I ain't stepping one foot off this ship. Tell him Mal."

"We're doing the job." The Captain announced.

"Mal!" "Captain!" The two reacted at the same time.

"Stealing under the Alliance's noses-- that's what makes us special." Malcom Reynolds replied raising both his hands. The magistrate's son was sure that the man met gazes with the companion. "But we're upping the cut." He said getting back to him.

"Agreed." Fess grinned as he shook the Captain's hand.

-- -- - -

Translations :)

Nage nuhai yao women dou zisha! = That girl wants us all to commit suicide.

Ta zenmeyang?= What's up with him?

Ge si= Shit! [ or something within that realm of expression]


	4. The Job

RSTC/ Firefly:: Lost

Chapter 4: The Job

Jayne Cobb knows what he is and isn't. He knows he's a fairly big guy. He know's he's not terribly bad looking. He knows he likes gold and winning and hats. But most importantly, he knows that the likes of Malcom Reynolds and Zoe Washburne are probably the most interesting, smart and dangerous people this side of the Verse.

So it was a complete surprise to him when only two out of those three descriptions matched the pair when the Captain decided to take the job on. Stealing from the magistrate's secured vault when there are Alliance men around was interesting and dangerous. Jayne Cobb knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but even he knew that continuing on wasn't smart. They should've just left. In fact, he reckons that the moment they saw the cruiser hovering above the place, they should've just turned back and sped away somewhere else.

Personally, he blamed Inara. Mal Reynolds could be all rough and tough, calling her a whore and such but Jayne could see who was putty in whose hands. He'd feel better if the companion were with them stealing the vault. Jayne didn't exactly think it's fair that she gets to go to a party while they have to do all the dangerous stupid stuff.

Jayne growled as he parked the transport hidden in the shrubbery near the vault building. He quickly pulled his cap down and caressed the hilt of his gun for comfort. It was nearly sunset. Everybody who's anybody should be at the magistrate's ballroom right now eating their dinner. "Kaylee better saved me some of 'em cookies." He muttered under his breath remembering that he had told Kaylee not to eat it all.

Exactly like the magistrate's boy said, six guards were relieved by another batch. When the last patrol was out of sight, Jayne saw Mal and Zoe come from opposite ends. Three guards each were easy for the two military trained friends especially when they held the surprise card. Zoe signaled for him to come help drag the poor souls in the vault as Mal opened the door.

"Tianzhu shenmu Maliya..." Jayne stared at the new floor to ceiling vault wall, which actually was the door. A tiny red light on top told them it was locked."That ain't here before." He pointed at the daunting task infront of him.

Mal simply waved a piece of paper in his face. "Well, it's a good thing we have this now ain't it." He grinned walking towards the tiny numeric key pad on the metal wall.

"Jayne's right Captain." Zoe frowned beside him. "This doesn't feel quite right."

There was a buzz and a click before the light turned green. "Just get the sacks ready." The Captain said pulling the door open. "We need to make this quick." He rubbed his hands together seeing the shelves lined with small bags of coin.

With a deep breath Jayne entered after Zoe and started sweeping the vault contents inside his bag. Mal was first to finish and went to peek outside the door just in case someone came looking. "Tell you what. This kid knows his guards' rounds." He heard the captain say.

He shrugged it off trying to be as fast as he possibly could. He threw the first sack out and started with a second one. "Fellas," Zoe suddenly holding her open sack and looking around. "Is there a mysterious ticking noise about?" She observed while tying off the top of her full sack. There was indeed a ticking sound. It was barely audible but it was getting faster.

Then the ticking became one continuous beep.

Jayne met the Captain's wide eyes. "Get out." Mal eyed them both. "Drop the sack. Get out now!" He yelled.

A second later, Jayne Cobb saw vertical bars drop from the ceiling of the vault door.

-- -- --

"He'll requisition you a new camera, paperboy. Stop moping." Doc gave him several pats on the shoulder.

Bobby 'Paperboy' Higgins glumly picked up a pebble and threw it as far as he could into the sunset. Despite the sun and the games, this was not a good day. "When exactly will he do that?" He huffed as they made their way back to the ship. "I mean, who knows when we'll be out of this SICON colony... Which isn't even the point." He complained kicking the tall weeds in his path.

"And your point will be what exactly?" Carl Jenkins inquired.

"Look, I'm a reporter. I like to document things. It's like, my job." He reminded them bitterly. "How many people do we know knows this place exists?" He placed both of his hands in his pant pockets. "Besides Andy." He qualified sensing they both had the same answer. There was silence. "Exactly. Crickets. And I'm sure we'll see more places and I won't get to document it all. It's not fair." He ranted.

"Did Rico say what it was for?" The psychic gave him a weak smile.

"No." He rolled his eyes. "It's probably need to know. And I don't need to know." He answered dryly.

"Higgins." Doc said.

"Yeah?"

"Write a journal." Suggested the medic.

But before the reporter could even recover from his panned expression, a very familiar sound filled the air stopping them all in their tracks. Bobby Higgins moaned. "Was that a gunshot?" He cringed knowing the answer when several others followed.

-- -- -- -

"River stay with Kaylee."Simon Tam watched the mechanic try to prep a gun while huddled with his confused sister. He counted to three before running across the cargo hold drawing fire from their shooters. Each time he popped his head to shoot, there would be more people shooting back at him. He's not even certain if he has hit anyone.

He watched as Kaylee nervously let out a few shots. "There's so many of them." She managed to tell him while his back is pressed against a crate.

Suddenly, there was a black blur dropping from the catwalk above, and rolled towards his direction. The man he recognized as the soldier- engineer flinched as wood splinters flew in the air. "Came from the engine room. Why are we being shot at?" He asked.

"If I knew, I'd tell you." Simon held his breath as he fired more shots into the fray. Somehow, there were more enemies now than ever before. He stole a glance at the girls across him. It wouldn't be long now before they were over run. "Jeffrey right? Where are your friends?" He asked while reloading the pistol.

"They haven't come back yet." Gossard answered. "Do you have a spare gun?"

He shoved the gun to the hands of the mechanic. "Here, you're probably better at this." He switched places with the man.

But to his surprise, Gossard just stared at the pistol. "Is this... ready to go?" He examined the gun's ivory, wood, and metal construction before meeting his gaze.

"Yes, it's fine." The medic quickly replied.

"Simon?" Simon Tam turned his head to his sister's voice and paled. She was covered in blood. But it wasn't her blood that she had on her dress. It was Kaylee's but he couldn't where she had been shot. He tried to move towards her but was held back by the trooper.

"Hey hey. You want to get yourself shot too? That's not going to help." Gossard let three bullets fly. One man fell to the ground. "Sorry, I'm used to bigger targets. Bugs are bigger." He apologized before letting a few more bullets loose yet only hitting two men.

"Hey Goss?" A girl sneaked into the nook where River and Kaylee were. "There's ten of them. Rico and Diz are sneaking up for one each. Doc's got one marked. Brutto and Ibanez are sharing one. CJ and Bobby's sharing one. That leaves... five. Rico says we have to go first." She shook her head rolling her black jacket to prop up Kaylee's head.

The medic took a look at what she was talking about but couldn't find any of the troopers in sight against the fading sunlight. "There's no one there." He tried pointing out.

Gossard nodded ignoring the comment. "Here's the plan, Andy. On three, I'm going to shoot and the doc and I are going there. Then I'm giving the gun to you to secure the place." He ordered.

"Roger that." She looked at the pistol with the same doubtful expression. "Kaylee, I need you to count to one hundred." She smiled at the dazed girl. "River, I need your cardigan please."

Simon watched as his sister wordlessly gave her jacket away as the mechanic started counting. The girl folded it roughly and applied pressure on the wound. Kaylee moaned in pain. It was more than the doctor could take."Stop it!" He exploded in frustration. "You're hurting her."

"I'm sorry!" The girl automatically went on the defensive.

"On three, Andy." Simon felt the trooper's hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes waiting for the count. But it never came. "THREE!" The mechanic said pulling him forward the same time the girl rose to her feet.

Simon heard five shots come from the his gun when he turned Kaylee to face him. Then there was total silence. He turned to check what had happened. Gossard had now swiftly given Andy the gun . She was stepping forward slowly kicking the weapons away. A grim conversation started amongst the passengers that he couldn't fully follow.

Suddenly, fingers started snapping infront of his face. "Hey, doc. DOC!" Gossard called out. "She's kind of bleeding out." He reminded.

The experienced trauma surgeon met the soldier's gaze. "It only took five shots." He murmured slightly dazed.

"I actually missed two but Diz and Rico were there to take care of it. Everybody does their end. That's how it is." He explained simply. "Doc, man down!" He called out for their own medic.

"But...."

"That's how it is, Simon" River repeated yet her eyes were glued on her bloody hands.

-- -- -

The sight of Serenity's dim lights calmed his mind a little. His firefly had that effect on him. Simply put, it was home. He knew he wasn't going to be staying for long. He just needed to organize his thoughts a little, plan, stock up on ammunitions and maybe get in contact with Inara somehow. He refused to believe that the night could get any worse.

Jayne was right. They should never had taken the job. He knew it was too risky but he decided to do it anyway. The money was too good to pass up and they haven't had a job in awhile. If he could change one decision, it'll probably be taking the job on. In hindsight, he really should've refused. The capture of Zoe and Jayne wasn't worth any of it.

But he was wrong.

He marched up the rap to the cargo hold and paused when he saw the a group of injured men tied up with their hands behind them. Sitting on top of a crate was one Lt. Johnny Rico with a gun, not just any gun but the handgun the troopers had on them, on one hand and a walkie talkie on the other. "Copy that, he's here." He spoke to the black walkie talkie.

"What's this?" Asked Mal carefully eying the fallen men. "I thought I said for you to be invisible like." He frowned.

"We were." Rico nodded nonchalantly. "We were so invisible that they didn't see us come up from behind." He smiled sweetly.

"And neither did you, boss." Dizzy Flores suddenly said from behind his right ear giving him the chills. The girl giggled as she went passed him towards her commanding officer while stuffing a gun at the small of her back. "Hello, boys." She taunted the tied up men as she passed.

Mal Reynolds gazed at the pair suspiciously. If this were any other time, Zoe would've blown a hole in them already but this time, he was alone. "I reckon I said no guns too. Where'd you get those?" He asked.

"River gave them back." Dizzy Flores supplied. "See, you need guns you know when you're being shot at." She shrugged. "Oh yeah." She cringed as she remembered her point. "Captain, you might want to tell Dr. Tam to stay clear of certain troopers for a bit." She chuckled.

"Tell me about it." The lieutenant sighed. "I can hear the tone on the walkie talkies."

Mal's frown deepened just listening to their trivial sounding day. Finally, he had enough. "Will someone tell me what's happening to my ship?!" He exploded stopping the pair in mid sentence.

"They came with guns and bullets. Imprecise. Impatient. Noisy." He barely heard River on the catwalk looking down on them through the slots as she laid on the cool metal. "Kaylee was shot. Shotgun. Infraspinatus and deltoid and scapula. So much blood. Juan Rico wrapped one in his jacket. Hit another one. Isabelle Flores had her feet in his ear. One in the leg. Carmen Ibanez swung her crutch, Max Brutto stomped. Richard LeCroix threw one off balance. Carl Jenkins and Robert Higgins hit in the head. Ashley Anderson secured. Jeffrey Gossard shot three-- non fatal-- and carried Kaylee." Mal saw the girl's glassy gaze meet his. "He carried Kaylee." She recounted.

"Where's Kaylee now?" The Captain ran a hand through his hair.

"She's with the two doctors. They're not done." Rico hopped off the crate. He crossed his arms standing much too close of the captain's liking. "Carl's having trouble with little sister up there. Brutto has one arm on a sling. Carmen's leg is on a crutch and she has a neck brace on. Higgins can't stand straight. And my medic Doc, has his ribs to worry about. It hurts when he moves but he's still assisting Dr. Tam in there because that's what he does. So that's five out nine troopers definitely out.I have two people on the wings watching out for more of your friends. Dizzy just came back from perimeter." He frowned. "My guys are suddenly in caught in whatever it is you're doing. I need to know what's going on." He pressed his lips together.

"I don't know what's going on." The captain growled in frustration.

"What do you mean you do, you don't know?" Dizzy Flores demanded.

-- -- -

Inara Serra spun around before the dance warranted her return to her partner. She smiled graciously at her date for that evening who in turn reddened slightly. There was a game she liked to play when she was doing business. Tonight, she was quite sure that she was winning.

"I was wondering, Inara." Fess blushed even more. "After tonight, I would have enough money to... maybe..." He trailed on unable to get his words correctly.

"Yes?" She placed her most mesmerizing smile on magistrate's son. But it's effects were lost. Magistrate Higgins had managed to forcefully pull his son away from his partner before he could utter the words she wanted to hear.

"What is she doing here?" The magistrate scowled.

Fess Higgins held his hand out to her which she quickly took. "She is my guest, father."

"I can see that." The elder sneered. "Do you think things happen under my roof that I do not know about?" He challenged looking straight at the companion like it was a warning. Inara made sure her countenance did not falter. "I asked you to make him a man. Not to take away my son." He said softly but in a tone that sent shivers through the companion's spine. The magistrate left as abrupt as he came.

"I apologize for that." Fess bowed. "I assure you the night gets better."

Inara nodded eying the dancefloor once again. "I'm sure it will." She placed her gaze on him once more confident that she would get a proposal by the end of the night.

--- -- -

Zoe Washburne would rather have been executed than walk through the mudder's settlement. She can hear it while they marched, hands and feet cuffed, through the lines of dirty tents with twenty or so armed guards around them. The audible gasps and cries for Jayne was their reaction to disbelief. Their local hero was caught. Jayne was now a dead man walking and she with him.

This is what it sounds like when hopes are crushed in the middle of dinner.

Nobody made a move to help them. She could see her large friend shaking his head at everyone who had even looked like they were going to attempt a rescue. He had even growled once or twice. No doubt that the young man who had thrown himself in the line of fire was still in his mind. Jayne was not about to see someone else suffer the same fate.

She knew their situation was dire. Soldiers had pulled out their earpieces. They no longer had communications with the Captain. She didn't even know where they were going. She didn't even know how much time she had left. So Zoe did what she thought was proper.

She raised her head to the sky and prayed for Wash to pick her up when the time came.

-- -- - -

"That's stupid. You should never have let her go to that party." Max Brutto laughed. "But she is hot. It's kind of hard to say no." He leaned back on his seat.

"Concentrate, Brutto." Carl Jenkins shook his head.

"I can't believe the big guy is a local hero." Dizzy Flores grinned.

"Concentrate, Flores." Brutto passed on the taunt.

"I don't think the capture was a coincidence. This is very well planned." Carl flipped through the documents.

"So the magistrate orchestrated it and got his son to play along." Higgins suggested.

"But this Fess was the one who got them out of here the first time around. He wouldn't just play along." Dizzy argued.

"Maybe they were just really unlucky. This doesn't make sense." Rico exclaimed.

If there was something Mal Reynold's wasn't used to, it was a group discussion. This has never happened to him before. When he was a soldier, he was given orders and he followed those orders with little opposition. When he was a sergeant, he gave those orders after knowing the facts, and soldiers followed his lead with little opposition. In the Serenity, it was the same way. If there was any discussing happening, it usually wasn't about a job unless they were splitting the bounty.

But he was learning very quickly that this wasn't the case with the Roughnecks. They talked. A lot. And their commanding officer joined in the talking.

It was giving him a headache.

He met Simon's confused gaze as a cookie was tossed into the air just to be caught by the other medic who they aptly call Doc. River just stared at the flying cookie. He normally doesn't like the boat this full, but it does have its advantages. Kaylee, for one, was stable and she was under the watchful eye of Carmen Ibanez while the rest of them were up in the dining area... talking.

He took off his earpiece and chucked it on the table. "Sile." He muttered under his breath.

"Hey Cap, were you all wearing a piece?" Max Brutto motioned towards earpiece.

"Yes..." He answered tentatively.

"Andy, you think you can--" Gossard started to suggest.

The girl beside him suddenly grimaced. "Can we dip it in alcohol first? It... came from his ear." She said lifting her small laptop from her pack to the desk and started typing.

"You know, I seem to remember this story--" Doc started but was immediately cut off by the doctor.

"Story?" He eyed the medic in disbelief. "I don't think this is the time for anecdotes." He snapped.

A hand was raised in between the doctor and the mechanic. "L.T, can I go? I don't... want to be... here exactly." Andy said tentatively lifting her gaze from the screen.

"Uh... I think you need to stay this time." Rico replied a bit surprised by her request. "Doc?" He prompted ignoring the surgeon.

"Yeah so, there was this really big heist. These guys were suppose to steal diamonds but were double crossed." He leaned forward.

"I heard about this." Gossard tapped the table. "This was the Antwerp diamond heist. That was genius. Movie didn't give them credit though." He grinned.

There was a collective groan from the troopers. "Aww, man." Dizzy frowned. "It does sound like the same job."

"Hold on, hold on." Mal interrupted for the first time. "What's this all about? The same gorram job?"

"Way back when, there were these guys. The were hired to steal the contents of a vault, the contents being diamonds. So they figured out how to do it, get the key, layer of hairspray, or in your case, film on heat sensor, how to mess with the motion sensors-- everything. The guy who hired them even helped in the planning stages." Rico shook his head.

"When they got it, they cleaned out the safe no problem. But when they counted the stuff, they found out that that the haul was significantly less than what they thought it would be." Carl continued. "General opinion's they've been double crossed by the same person than hired them."

"I don't follow." Simon said placing a hand on his cheek.

"The loss." River stared at the map. "The amount that was in the safe was significantly higher than what they stole. The insurance payment would be on how much the employer says was in the safe since what was stolen could never be recovered and quantified. In the end, the employer would have the insurance payment and the amount that was not in the safe. It's a simple case. If x is the original amount and y is what was stolen then x+(x-y)0. 2x-y0. 2xy." She analyzed.

"Of course, they don't tell you everything. It's a scam." The mechanic went on. "I bet it's the kid." He pointed at the plans on the table. "Fess didn't tell you that whatever he placed in the heat sensor won't buy you time for long. Everything absorbs heat. Just at different rates."

"I'm going for the dad."Higgins picked. "He can always just bully his son into doing things. Or lie."

"It doesn't matter whodunnit. Can't find my crew, it don't really matter who set it up." Mal crossed his arms.

"Right." Dizzy rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure you're the kind that go find the bug and kill it. Or go try to steal the money again out of spite."

"Can you even do that? They've been made, Flores." Brutto reminded the older red head before the Captain could even attempt a comeback.

"Right..." Gossard started flipping through the plans on the table. "It doesn't look like the place has any alternate power source.... They didn't even really install this correctly. Those bars were custom." He shook his head in dismay. "If you cut the main power to the vault, you're in. Even the vault locks unlocks. The only thing stopping you is the front door."

Eyes grew wide with the revelation. "Well, ain't that interesting." The Captain nodded.

"It's stupid. That's what it is. What evil mastermind leaves the plans to his place with a bunch of, no offense, thieves." Max Brutto smirked. "This place is really weird."

"Hold!" The girl held up her hand again. This time, though she stood up. "Do we have a map of this place?" She asked.

"Sure do kid." Mal took the last sheet and placed it on top.

"It's pretty faint but there's one... here." She pointed at an aerial view of a house complex.

"That's where the magistrates party is. That's Inara's shuttle. Go on." Mal prompted.

"And there's one... here. And they're still moving. So that should be them or a bunch of soldiers or civilians. " A confused expression washed over her face. "Wow, it looks like they're heading towards the party...Oh well," She shrugged. "If it's on, you can't stop the signal." She quoted her dead friend.

"No you can't." Captain Mal Reynodls agreed deciding that maybe one day, he'll try this group discussion event. "Shiny."

-- -- -

Tianzhu shenmu Maliya = Holy Mary Mother of God

Sile= Doomed! Dead! And other expressions of the like.

-- -- -


	5. Onward

RSTC/ Firefly:: Lost

Chapter 5: Onward

--

Simon Tam was about to get a bite to eat when he saw three figures in the bridge. The bridge, according to Captain, was off limits unless he or Zoe were there. He knew it wasn't one of them. Kaylee was still unconscious in the infirmary and he had just put River to sleep. Deciding that Mal would get awfully angry at him, not at them, if something happens to his dear beloved firefly, he slowly made his way into the bridge just to find the three troopers. One Carmen Ibanez was sitting at the pilots chair carefully observing what one Jeffrey Gossard was doing on the open panel. One Ashley Anderson was staring at the ceiling, eerily reminding him of his own sister, small laptop on her lap with wires running out of it making its way to Gossard's hand.

"What are you doing?" He demanded entering the bridge completely taken aback at the sheer audacity these people had to tinker with something that isn't theirs. The youngest trooper shifted uncomfortably on her seat before looking down at the screen of her laptop. But the other two just eyed him innocently.

"Stuff." The pilot answered simply.

"Stuff?" He repeated in a mixture of awe and annoyance. "Do you know how angry the Captain will be when he gets back and sees that you have made... this?"

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Replied the mechanic.

The doctor's face fell. "I will not be made an accomplice to your insubordination." He challenged knowing that he was outmatched.

"You're jumping into conclusions. One, we haven't even threatened you to keep silent yet. And two, who says we're being insubordinate?" Carmen Ibanez smiled wryly.

He started pacing nervously. "Please just stop what you're doing and put everything back to where it was before Mal--"

"Oh hey! I'm in. Much thanks." Andy cheered grinning at her companions before typing away on her laptop.

The good doctor was appalled. Not only were they playing games with him, they were also ignoring him. He marched over to the co pilot seat and slammed the laptop screen down. There was a sharp intake of breath behind him but he didn't care about what was proper now. The girl was just staring at his hand on top her computer. "You seem to be the instigator of this whole ordeal so I'm going to tell you a little piece of trivia--"

"Please get your hand off my computer. I have work to do." Andy requested cutting him in mid sentence.

"What work?" He shot back. "You're not even in your own territory. You're a fish out of water trying to swim in a puddle of mud. You have no concept of what goes on here." He leaned forward seeing that she was trying her best to maintain a calm facade but failing.

"Chill out. The L.T. Gave orders. I'm following those orders. It's on a need to you know basis. You don't need to know." She answered simply.

"And if your lieutenant tells you to commit harakiri will you follow that order?" He looked expectantly at the trooper.

"That's the job description. Besides, to some people, enlisting, especially enlisting for infantry, is a form of suicide." She countered.

"Ni jiushi tiandi zuida de sha qiu." He shook his head in disapproval.

The girl raised both her hands and rolled her eyes in indifference. "Suibian."

"I don't know what you both just said."Carmen Ibanez suddenly interrupted. "But I'd move away from her if I were you." The doctor turned around just to see a much bigger and not to happy Jeffrey Gossard glaring not a foot away.

"Fine." He started to walk away angrily. "Do what you want but if Serenity doesn't fly, we're going to be stuck in Higgins' Moon with people who wants us dead." He said walking down the stairs.

"Did you just say _Higgins' Moon_? As in Magistrate Higgins' moon?" The pilot called out exchanging glances with the other two. "I thought this rock was called Canton."

Simon placed his hands on his hips sighed in frustration. "Canton is a city. Magistrate Higgins owns the moon. You would know this if you actually live here. Which surprisingly is my point all along." He huffed making his way back to the dining area.

"But what's Magistrate's first name?" Ibanez called after once more.

--- -- -

Jayne eyed the man going up the hill with great disdain as he fell backwards and rolled back. He can't see where the shots were coming from, and judging by the twenty soldiers that were down and out on the ground, neither did they. He didn't blame them. It was pitch dark where they were. But the little blue syringes that stuck out of their bodies were a tell tale sign of one thing.

He wasn't the one who got to use those new shiny guns first.

The one who did get to use them first came running down another hill with two soldiers behind him. Jayne never thought he'd hate the sight of cavalry but he did today. "Gorram it Mal, you knew in earnest I wanted to shoot those first!" He complained Johnny Rico fished the keys off one soldier and moved to uncuff them.

"Don't worry. You'll get your turn." Mal replied caddishly at him.

"That ain't the point." He growled. "What are you doing little girl?" He asked the red head picking off the darts that were on soldiers and gathering them to one place.

"Can't leave evidence that we were here." Dizzy shrugged changing the settings of of her morita. A red line of laser soon melted the syringes and the surrounding sand into one big pool of glass. "Done!" She skipped towards Rico's side.

"Captain." Zoe greeted suspiciously.

Mal grinned taking the cuffs off his friend. "Zoe." He greeted in the same curt manner. "Now why do I get the feeling that you ain't happy to see me."

"Sir, with all due respect," the girl grimaced. "I know that look." She honestly replied.

"I don't have a look." The Captain feigned innocence.

"Yeah you do." Jayne grunted. "You have that 'aim to misbehave' sign on your face." He did his best imitation of that look and rolled his eyes.

Mal smirked. "Well my plan happens to pair you with 'em guns." He revealed much to the delight of the larger man. "You in or not?"

"Ain't ever said I wasn't." Jayne replied.

"Shiny." Mal motioned for the group to follow him. "Coz we're taking that vault."

"Come again sir?" Zoe paused. "I thought I just heard you say we're taking the _vault_."

"Zoe, we always do the job." Mal cheerfully hopped in the transport craft and grinned.

-- -- -

Inara was disappointed. The night had not gone as she wished. The proposal that she wanted was left unsaid. The man she had accompanied seemingly grew distracted as the night wore on. Now that they were heading back to Serenity through her shuttle, she could only think that one of her greatest fears has gone to pass. It was a companion's worst nightmare.

She had lost her touch.

As she docked the shuttle back to be just another part of Serenity, she couldn't shake the deflated feeling that this was the beginning of the end of her. She took a deep breath before pulling the curtain back revealing the magistrate's son cautiously drinking the last of the tea that she had laid out earlier. He smiled nervously and her heart leaped.

Maybe she wasn't slipping just yet. There was time to turn the tide.

"Shall we finish your business with the Captain and get on our way?" She suggested coyly.

Fess pushed his glasses up and nodded following her out of the shuttle and into Serenity. She lead him down the stairs into the main cargo bay where his bounty should be waiting. But when they reached the bottom, there was nothing there. Instead, Mal was leaning on one of the crates just waiting for them to present themselves.

"Mal?" Inara narrowed her eyes with suspicion seeing the mixture of innocence and sarcasm on the Captain's face.

"Ah, Inara. Lord Higgins." He stepped forward a bit too cheerfully for her liking "I hope your evening was as pleasant as ours."

"What are you doing?" She asked under her breath.

"Saying hi." He replied in the same manner.

"Quite pleasant. Thank you." Fess eyed the empty bay. "It went well I suppose?" He prompted.

"Yes." The captain turned his back to take the rolled up documents from the top of the crate. "Your share of the take is at this location." He handed a tube and a piece of paper to his employer. "We took our share of course as agreed upon." He smiled warmly at the young man.

Fess merely glanced at the piece of paper and nodded graciously. "Of course. Thank you, Captain. It was good working with you." He held his hand to the companion with a small bow. "My lady?" He grinned.

Inara took his hand and moved towards the shuttle once more but not without giving Mal a confused look. She learned long ago that it was never this simple with Serenity's Captain. The fact that the ship was extremely quiet just added to her suspicion. "Oh, Lord Higgins." Mal's voice echoed through the cargo hold. "I forgot to ask." He called out before they could reach the stairs. The two turned just in time to watch the captain lower the cargo bay's ramp. "What do you want us to do with these folk?" He asked pointing to the injured men tied up right outside the bay.

Fess shrugged confused at the situation. "I do not know who they are." He said.

"That's him!" One of the men said to someone hidden in the darkness outside. "That's the guy who hired us. Fess Higgins, the magistrate's son."

"Nonsense." Fess shook his head in denial. "I don't deal with assassins." He reasoned.

But the man kept talking. "We were paid in advance. He wanted us to get you all, he did. As a present for his pop-- Jayne Cobb's crew." He continued as desperation crept into his voice.

"I'm telling you Captain, I have no hand in this." He tried defending himself. "Lady Inara can vouch for my actions. I have been nothing but honest about this from the very start." He faced the companion with pleading eyes.

"Honest?" Mal asked as Inara pulled herself away slowly. "Coz she ain't look so trusting now."

"Yes!" Fess insisted pushing his glasses back. "Inara, believe me. My intentions--"

"Mal never said they were assassins. How did you know they were assassins?" She took several steps back shaking her head.

"Smart for a whore ain't she?" The captain quickly said pulling a gun and aiming it on the man's head. "Must be all that schooling." He motioned for the bay doors. "You're a smart kid I give you that. You almost had us-- all that 'wanting to make things better' nonsense. Unfortunately for you, the lot of us are smarter. Now, I don't care why you want us dead but I do know this-- The job's done and I don't particularly feel like cleaning up after bodies. So, you're going do the smart thing and leave my ship right now. No funny stuff or I will shoot." He warned eying the man carefully.

Fess Higgins shook his head ruefully as he slowly walked away. "I did want to make things better." He said out loud. Inara gasped at the considerable change in the tone of his voice. "This is all your fault you know. My father hates me for letting you people go the last time. He made my life a living hell." He revealed. "So I thought, hey! Why not capture you on his birthday? I'd even get the credit for ruining another Jayne Cobb robbery." He smirked humourlessly. "I thought you'd at least be dead." He sneered at the assassins as he stepped off the ship.

"Well, I have a pretty merciful lieutenant." Mal replied as Johnny Rico came out of the shadows and stepped in the ramp with a gun expertly trained at the assassins.

"Truly?" The magistrate's son suddenly turned.

A gunshot echoed through the air as Inara watched the young lieutenant fall. Her eyes grew wide as she witnessed a trooper rush out of the infirmary where she watching the whole event. Less than a second later, the Captain fired. Fess Higgin's gun flew out of his hand. He fell to knees grasping his bleeding side yet he still managed to lock his gaze with Mal's. It was then Inara saw it. The shy Fess Higgins she knew was long gone.

This man has dipped into the pool of madness.

The magistrate's son laughed without humour. "You're not going to be able to fly out of here anyway. You're land locked and Alliance is all over the sky." He chuckled before moaning in pain.

"That right? You think so?" The Captain challenged and hit the bay door's controls. "Watch us." He growled as the door rose to a close.

-- -- - -

Zoe Washburne entered the bridge. "Sir, the doctors say Lt. Rico is stable for now and Kaylee hasn't woken up." She reported as evenly as she could. She waited for his reply but none came. The quiet hum of Serenity's components filled the air as she watched the Captain watch the vast expanse of space in front of him. She sighed and nodded to herself before making her move to leave the man alone.

But she paused when his voice suddenly called softly for her. "Zoe," She turned to find him still staring at the black. "Today ain't that good a day."He said.

"Yes, Captain." She agreed.

"They had our backs." He continued.

"Yes they did sir." She agreed again.

His chair turned to face her. "Lt. Rico could've ordered that girl to call the proper authorities. They would sure get home a bit faster and we'd be somewhere in lockdown-- if we're lucky. But no, he ordered her to fool around with Serenity and have her seem like she's Magistrate Higgins' boat. Gorramit, the land lock didn't even work on us." He stated amazed.

"Not necessarily sir." She chuckled at the confused expression he had.

"Say that again Zoe?" He prompted.

"Had a talk with the girl hiding down at the engine room, she had Serenity temporarily registered to Robert Higgins." Zoe grinned taking a seat as his co pilot.

"That's the magistrate's name." Mal pointed out.

"Also the name of that paperboy of theirs. 'Bobby' ain't his full name Captain. It was short for Robert." She leaned back placing both hands behind her head. "Robert Higgins." She finished.

She watched the dumbfounded captain stare back into the black. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle." He muttered under his breath.

"What do we do now Sir?" She asked after a moment of silence.

The Captain shrugged. "We make do with our word. We get them to Ariel. If we get jobs along the way, the better." He sighed.

Zoe eyed the vast expanse of space ahead of them and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

-- -- -

translations:

Ni jiushi tiandi zuida de sha qiu= you must be the verse's biggest ball of stupid.

Suibian= whatever. [well, at least how it's used here, it means whatever.]


	6. A Big Hard Sun

RSTC/ Firefly:: Lost

Chapter 6: A Big Hard Sun

The smartly dressed man eyed his opponent as he raised his fists. He charged ready to hit a still young girl into submission. There was a loud but brief scream followed by the clanging of the metal floors. A groan echoed through the cargo bay walls as Zoe Washburne did everything in her power to keep from chuckling unlike her two companions beside her. The younger girl, Dizzy Flores, placed her foot lightly on their medic's chest looking down at the fallen Simon Tam. "And that's how you use the enemy's force against them." She declared. "Got it?" She asked grinning victoriously.

"Captain, you might want to stop this now. He ain't looking too good." She frowned eying the medic rise to his feet.

It wasn't a surprise to her when Malcom Reynolds merely shrugged innocently. " Hey, I didn't say nothing about him having to learn how to fight. He wanted this." He answered washing his hands off the whole ordeal.

"'Bout gorram time if you asked me." Jayne chuckled watching the doctor slowly straighten in pain.

The Captain nodded in agreement as the three leaned against the same crate. "Besides, with the current situation being more than half of them are injured, their lieutenant still out cold, and Kaylee's still recovering, it could help if the young doctor knew how to protect himself." He argued.

Zoe sighed in dismay as the fiery young girl attacked while Simon attempted the move-- a bit too late. Dizzy's hand connected with his jaw before he could even move an inch. "He's going to kill himself." She stated just as the doctor collapsed to the floor.

"Ain't my funeral." Mal said.

"The question is," A young reporter sitting on the floor beside her interrupted. "why Dizzy?"

Zoe eyed the younger trooper confused about the comment. In her opinion, the red head was just as good as anyone to teach the older Tam self defense. It's a wonder how Jayne hasn't won a single round with the much smaller girl. The fact that she was one of the few uninjured troopers around made it even better. "What's that child?" She asked.

"Why ask Dizzy?" Robert Higgins repeated motioning to another fallen doctor scene. "Dizzy's... not a hundred percent right now." He cringed when the doctor collapsed one more time.

"That's not a good thing?" The Captain asked. "If she's not a hundred percent she's less likely to be hurting the good doctor." He reasoned.

"I think what Paperboy is trying to say is that Dizzy's distracted with the thing with Rico. Distracted equals dangerous." The mechanic beside the reporter explained.

Higgins flinched at another throw down. "Exactly."

Zoe gave the captain an expectant look which the he simply chose to ignore. She sighed stepping forward with her hands on her hips. But before she could say anything, a voice broke through from the infirmary. "Hey, Flores!" Max Brutto called out adjusting the sling on his shoulder. "Maybe you should teach him how to fall first before you kill him." He suggested as he entered the cargo bay.

"Yeah? Well, falling isn't going to save your life." She argued putting her hands on her hips.

"Betcha it'll save his." Brutto smirked. "From you."

"Oh. No." Zoe heard the reporter mumble. "This isn't good."

"Not good? Not good, how?" Mal demanded off the wide eyed boy.

"Diz--" He was about to answer but a much louder voice caught everybody's attention.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Dizzy Flores' eyes narrowed in anger.

"Means that it's the first thing you would've taught him if you weren't too busy playing Rico's wife." The injured trooper spat back.

Zoe's eyes widened in surprise watching the girl charge her own squadmate. To the injured Brutto's credit, he had managed to dodge the initial punch by crouching down and tackling the Dizzy Flores with his free arm. She was just about to go at the young boy again when Gossard rushed in to try to hold her back. Unfortunately, Dizzy elbowed the man on the stomach sending him reeling backwards.

"What's going on?" Inara's voice asked, her hands full of groceries, from the catwalk above. Ashley Anderson, the trooper that had accompanied the companion to a small space station, quickly placed the bags she carried on the floor and made her way down the stairs to help split the two up.

"Entertainment." Jayne answered grinning. "Got some peanuts?"

Zoe shook her head and placed her attention back to the feuding soldiers. To her surprise, Jeffrey Gossard had caught Dizzy's punch and twisted her arm behind her. "Quit it." He growled. "Fighting Brutto isn't going to help Rico." He grunted trying to hold the still fighting girl.

At the same time, Andy grabbed the Brutto's ear from behind and twisted it. The boy's eyes grew wide in pain as he turned slowly lowering himself to his knees unable to do anything from arms length. Zoe noticed both the Captain and Jayne cringe at the sight of a twisted ear. Jayne, in fact, had one hand to his ear as if he were the one under attack. "Anderson! Let go!" A red faced Brutto growled.

"You're an idiot." She stated dryly.

"Andy, I'm taking Dizzy to the clinic." Gossard informed the trooper while pushing the angry red head along towards the infirmary.

"Cool. Brutto's going to help me cook." She let go of the troopers' ear when the pair was already paces away.

Zoe smirked at the aghast expression the boy had on his face. "The hell I am! Why should I?" He exclaimed.

"Because I'm hungry!" The girl raised her voice for the first time inside the firefly. "And it's at the opposite end of the ship where Dizzy will obviously be nowhere near." She added hitting the back of the boy's head in annoyance and pushing him towards the stairs.

"You should've said that first." Brutto yelled at the girl while taking the groceries out of Inara's arms before disappearing into a doorway. Suddenly, the cargo bay was quiet.

"What just happened?" Mal asked the boy rising to his feet.

"I don't understand...They just left." The doctor walked towards them carefully.

"Ain't there a second part? Nobody won." Jayne pointed out.

"Jayne." Zoe sighed in her warning tone. She couldn't understand it either. First, they were fighting. Then, there was nothing. In her experience, someone at least gets shot at times like these. Or at least, a warning shot would be fired before anybody would stop throwing punches. She half expected a threat of punishment but none really came. They just disappeared.

Higgins merely scratched his head in uncertainty. "Things tend to get weird when Rico's..." He trailed off with a sigh. " I know it doesn't look like it but we're all on edge about Rico's condition. Dizzy, Carl and Carmen pretty much grew up together. The one who has it the worst is Dizzy... because they're a thing." He revealed carefully much to Zoe's amazement. "Normally, Dizzy would just tease Brutto back. But her fuse is shorter than usual and Brutto doesn't have a filter. I mean, the last time Johnny was out like that the whole squad turned on each other. He wasn't even lieutenant then. If Lieutenant Raczak wasn't there..." He stopped pressing his lips into a fine line.

"Are you telling me you're all going to shambles without the lieutenant?" Zoe asked.

"Not exactly shambles." He answered tentatively.

"Well, who's in command after Rico?" The Captain questioned.

The boy eyed them all sheepishly. "Sergeant Zim."

-- -- - -

Sergeant Charles Zim could barely feel the hand of Sky Marshal Redwing squeezing his as the gun salute ended the ceremony. This was not how he imagined his return to Earth would be. He thought he would at least be able to watch the troopers he had spent so much time with walk away from headquarters as proud citizens. He actually had looked forward to sitting through annoying phone calls and visits and small talk for years and years to come.

It never occurred to him that he would survive them all.

Slowly, the crowd thinned. He somehow knew he shook hands with Rico, Dizzy, Carl and Carmen's parents. It barely registered when he talked to Doc Lecroix's and Jeffrey Gossard's friends. He knew he mumbled a few words about how courageous Bobby Higgins had been despite not being a trooper to his parents. He remembered telling Citizen Sean Lavigne he would attend a memorial concert for his best friend Andy. It was just a blur to him-- a sea of people he didn't know very well.

So he stood there under light spring showers of San Francisco staring at the fresh graves with coffins filled with memories and momentos from loved ones in place of bodies. Nine graves surrounding a monument of the Hero of San Francisco, Jean Razak. Miriam had mentioned that Rico would have his own monument in time. But for now, it seemed fitting that he would be laid to rest with his fellow Roughnecks.

Razak's Roughnecks-- more or less.

"Zim." A familiar voice called out. He didn't need to turn to see who it was. A hover chair stopped right beside him.

"Sergeant." A soft alien stood beside his friend.

"Ambassador Brutto." He greeted not able to meet his gaze. "Council member T'phai."

"It's Sergeant Brutto." Sergeant Brutto corrected bluntly.

"Here, I am just Private T'Phai." The Tophetti followed suite.

And that was all there was. No words were spoken between the surviving Roughnecks. They didn't need it. He knew they were all thinking the same several things. It was the unnatural order of events. They were older-- they should've passed before all of them. At the very least, he should be with them. He shouldn't be standing over them.

Miriam called it Survivor's Guilt.

But it couldn't be helped. In time, even Sergeant Brutto and T'Phai left wordlessly. He still stood there just watching over his troopers. "Charlie, we have to go." He felt Miriam Redwing lead him away from the graves slowly through the rows of cherry blossom trees just ready to bloom.

He took one last look at the monument and closed his eyes bitterly. "Do you know what's ironic?" He suddenly asked with a humourless smile forming on his lips. "I just convinced Marlowe and Blue leader to let the squad go."

-- -- - - -

Carl Jenkins watched River Tam take a deep breath and closed her eyes just like he told her to. "Now try to clear your mind. Just think of one single colour and hold that thought." He instructed. He finally caved. He had tried everything to block out her shouting mind from his. Everytime he thought he had it contained like everybody else's in this ship, she would break through the barrier even louder than before.

"Like green?" She asked opening one eye. Carl nodded encouragingly.

He decided he had to cut it off from the source. He had to teach River Tam how to at least control her abilities. First one on the list, is how to calm down-- to think of one single thing instead of the myriad she's been furiously going through. One central thought would help them both at least for some small time.

It was working. All he could read from her now was a picture of a well- maintained garden. This, he could block out immediately. For the first time since they had boarded Serenity, he felt much better.

"You can't blame it on me." Brutto's voice drifted into his consciousness.

"Maxi, you baited her." Andy reminded the boy. "Way to kick someone when they're down. Pass the salt, please."

The Intel psychic sighed. The trouble of being in an enclosed ship was that there weren't a lot of places you could be alone without attracting scandal. The best place he thought to do this with River was the dining area-- which was just a few steps shy of the small kitchen currently occupied by the two youngest troopers in the squad.

"Stop calling me Maxi." The boy complained.

"Stop being an idiot." The girl retorted smirking.

Brutto may say he dislikes the girl quite a bit. It might have been true when Andy was transferred in but Carl knew it wasn't exactly true had the kind of love- hate relationship siblings had. In fact, he was sure that the girl was one of the few people Brutto actually listens to. She certainly was one of the few that could call him Maxi without receiving a threat of some kind of force back. And as fond as he was of the two, he couldn't help but wish that they just weren't in the space. Just like any other sibling relationship out in the universe, the two bicker.

"Stop calling me an idiot!" Brutto huffed. "Geez Anderson, what is that blue stuff? Did you melt a smurf?" He asked.

Suddenly, Carl's head felt like it was melting. A series of memories came flooding in. There were blue hands, and needles, and computers and hospital rooms and tests of some sort. He knew they weren't his memories. "Stop it!" He ordered grasping the edge of the table. He didn't know if he actually said it or not.

However, someone was definitely screaming.

-- -- - -

He stifled a grumble as the council members seated in the auditorium voiced their complains. He tried to look unaffected by the whole ordeal as he adjusted the Chinese collar on his grey dress suit. Wearing this particular suit, he now realized, was a mistake. Sure, it had the loveliest gold leaf patterned embroidery this side of the verse, but it was highly uncomfortable underneath the heat of bright white lights. He gathered that he also looked a bit washed out against the dull backround. He decided that next time he would wear the western wine coloured suit-- same stellar embroidery plus he would pop out from the boring backdrop.

He was relatively new in this bigger arena. He knew there ought to be some sort of a learning curve. He just didn't expect it to be a lesson in fashion.

"It's absurd!"

"What kind of bendan would even suggest hiring these sort of men?!"

"Nothing has worked so far." His interest piqued. Apparently, he had a supporter he didn't know he had.

"We cannot align ourselves with these... these..."

"Untrustworthy folk?" He supplied managing to sound somewhat bored. "Qiedao?" He added with a small knowing smile. "Gentlemen, Ladies. What I propose isn't such a novel idea. Didn't the great Ramsees II employ mercenaries when he waged his wars? The Byzantine Empire had the Varangnian Guards, all of which were of the sort of men you discourage, guard the royal family. We can go back further to Xerxes if you wish, but the facts are there." He feigned a shrug just for the effect of it. "Sometimes, you just have to beat these men at their own game. And who would know the game more than someone who leads this kind of life." He argued.

"You've found someone haven't you."

"I have." He nodded solemnly. "He is educated. He is quite powerful and money. And most of all, he has a reputation." He bowed and took a step back motioning towards the properly dressed elder that has been standing beside the door inconspicuously since the meeting began.

The crowd focused their attention to him for the first time as he walked forward to take the center stage. "You must be wondering why I am willing to do this." He said with his thickly accented diction and eyes gleaming beneath his glasses. "As the great Machiavelli said on the subject of love and fear. 'It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with. Because this is to be asserted in general of men, that they are ungrateful, fickle, false, cowardly, covetous, and as long as you succeed they are yours entirely; they will offer you their blood, property, life, and children, as is said above, when the need is far distant; but when it approaches they turn against you. And that prince who, relying entirely on their promises, has neglected other precautions, is ruined; because friendships that are obtained by payments, and not by greatness or nobility of mind, may indeed be earned, but they are not secured, and in time of need cannot be relied upon; and men have less scruple in offending one who is beloved than one who is feared, for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.'" He quoted without falter or mistake.

"And you," Someone in the crowd spoke out. "You want to be feared?"

The elderly man smiled. "I have a reputation."

-- -- - -

A scream pierced through Serenity pulling Simon Tam from his inspection of his new bruises. His eyes widened in panic quickly running out of the infirmary and making his way towards the dining area. He wasn't even there yet when he saw a female trooper toppling back towards the small sitting area through a doorway. A chair was thrown in the air.

"Get out of my head!" Another scream turned the medic's blood cold.

"Was that your sister?" The Captain suddenly appeared climbing up from his quarters. "Are they trashing my gorram ship?" He asked running towards the melee but stopped just when a knife zipped just inches from his nose towards a pale trooper. Max Brutto pulled him away just in time for the knife to embed itself on the panel where Jenkins was crumpled infront.

In an instant, the young River Tam leaped from the dining table aiming to grab the injured trooper's sore arm. But Brutto was just as fast in evading the oncoming attack. He headed towards the door exiting to the bridge as Zoe stepped into the room and River brandished a new knife from the block. Simon helplessly watched his sister attack the injured trooper while the injured trooper tossed the gun Zoe wore on her thigh across the far end of the room. "Anderson!" The boy called out. The gun skidded against the metal floor. The young girl managed to scamper after the gun. She turned, gun in hand. Brutto raised his free arm to protect himself from the coming blade.

Simon felt his heart stop when a single shot was fired.

The knife fell in two pieces. Brutto pushed the girl away and quickly placed distance between them. River fell to floor hugging her knees and sobbing. "River." He finally passed the Captain who was still in shock at the doorway. "River... are you hurt?" He repeated kneeling down right infront of her but she wouldn't lift her head to meet his gaze.

"She's fine. I shot the knife." The trooper answered as she made her way to her own crumpled psychic friend.

"You could have missed!" He growled angrily.

He saw Brutto roll his eyes as he gave back Zoe's borrowed gun. "Don't be stupid. Anderson doesn't miss." He snarled.

"Don't you ever take my gun again you hear me private?" Zoe Washburne sternly eyed the young boy. "Now, you might want to explain what's going on?"

The trooper shrugged. "I don't know. One minute she was sitting with Jenkins meditating or something and the next thing I know, she goes berserk. Takes it out on whatever Anderson was mixing." He watched the sobbing girl warily. "Then, she takes it out on us. We're just defending ourselves from her." He pointed.

"It's not my fault Simon. It's not my fault." She sobbed rocking herself. "You don't understand. They're everywhere. Everywhere! We're not safe. We can never be safe." She shook her head earnestly insisting on her convictions.

Simon simply took her into his arms like he always did. "It's okay meimei. It's okay." He murmured.

"For you." Andy said running a nervous hand through her hair. "Maxi, CJ's not responding. He seems fine. His heart rate looks pretty normal and he's breathing. I don't think he's in shock. But he won't wake up and I don't know..." She turned to face her squadmate looking pale and lost. "Please, call Doc." She finished.

"On it."

"I thought you said little sister here was fine after Miranda." Simon heard the Captain kneel down beside him to have a private conversation.

All the doctor could do was to bravely stare down the Captain. "She was. She is. They must've triggered something." He explained.

"And you ain't got an idea what it is." Mal rose to his feet eying the mess that was left while biting down on his lower lip trying to control his frustration. "Great."

Jayne suddenly appeared on the doorway with a disappointed expression on his face. "Aw... did I miss round two?" He stepped in the kitchen dragging a finger through the spilt batter. "Mmmm...Blueberry pancakes. Eating time yet?" He grinned unaware of what just happened.

-- --

translations :D

bendan= idiot

quedao= thief

meimei= little sister


	7. One Step Closer

Chapter 7: One step closer

"Is he going to be ok?" Bobby Higgins asked when Doc and Simon Tam stepped out of the infirmary.

Carmen Ibanez could see the tentative expression on both men and hoped they'd just get on with the diagnosis. The Roughnecks were already braced for bad news. All they wanted to know was how bad exactly. She knew them well enough to know they were hanging on every breath the two were taking. In her opinion, these events, like a reprimand from Marlowe on the monetary cost of a crashed fighter jet, should be done quick and hopefully painless. Just like ripping off a band aid.

"Well?" Higgins uncharacteristically prompted.

Doc closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "He's physically fine." His jaw hardened.

"But? There's always a but." Gossard leaned against the wall behind him.

"It's up to Jenkins." Doc finally finished.

The pilot took a quick look at the squad around her. Max Brutto was looking at the ceiling defeated. Jeffrey Gossard had his eyes closed, arms crossed and lips pressed together in a thin line. Sitting on the floor beside him, Ashley Anderson was simply looking away. Higgins had an arm wrapped around the girl between them on the sofa.

She didn't have to look to know. Carmen was devastated but Dizzy Flores would be a hundred times more than devastated. The fiery red head had her elbows to her knees and her head to her hands staring bitterly at her shoes.

The pilot saw a tear run down her cheek. They weren't always friends. At one point, they went against each other for the affection of the same men. The past, however, didn't matter anymore. Her formal rival's best friends were unconscious to the world in the same tiny room. "Dizzy, I'm sorry." Carmen placed a comforting hand on the girl's leg.

"They're not dead, Ibanez." She replied standing up and beelined for the infirmary. Once inside, she quickly shut the door behind her.

Carmen sighed. She saw the younger troopers flinch when the door slid shut. Everyone stayed silently in their place as if someone did pass away. Although she was a fleet officer, she found herself at a loss on what to do. The protocol would be to continue the mission and follow orders. But they were lost in space. There were no orders. There was no mission.

"I apologize." Simon Tam's softly but firmly said. "In behalf of River." He continued uncomfortably. "Please believe me when I say she did not mean to hurt anyone. Once something gets triggered inside her mind, she has no control over..."

"For short, she's an unstable ninety pound freak who can kick ass." Brutto supplied for him.

"Ticking time bomb." frowned Gossard.

"For a ship called Serenity, there's very little of that going around here." Doc sighed settling into Dizzy's former seat.

"Guys, come on." She groaned. "That's not really helping." She said earning a grateful glance from doctor. But she knew they were right. Even she thought that they would at least be safe inside the ship while flying through space. Today's incident proved otherwise. The camaraderie she previously felt for the crew of this ship was starting to wane. The honeymoon was over.

The love is gone.

-- -- -

Every year, the Alliance made it harder for people like them to do anything. Malcolm Reynolds knew that for a fact. He knew it by experience. But he didn't know it would come so soon. He stared blankly at the talking head on the small screen telling him some obvious nonsense that he didn't care to digest. "And you know how they are about...." The man went on.

Finally, he just needed to interrupt. "Look. Way I see it, you know we're perfect for the job. I sure as hell know we're good for it. So what is the problem?" He asked in frustration.

"The problem is..." The man shrugged. "You rub me the wrong way."

Mal let a humourless chuckle escape. "I rub you the wrong way?! You ain't ever met me." He exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hearsay's enough for me."

"Hearsay." It took all his self control to keep from rolling his eyes. "Well then you'd know that business ain't about liking the folk you do business with. It's about getting the job done. And I always get the job done." He said proudly.

"Now you got it all twisted. The job will get done, Captain Reynolds. Just not by you."

"But I hear you're getting desperate." The Captain argued. "Means nobody want to touch your cargo."

"Desperation and stupid ain't similar things, Captain." The man held up his hand to finalize his decision. "Business with you-- it just ain't smart. Apologies." And with that, the screen flickered back to black. The transmission was cut.

He laid his head to rest on the dashboard defeated. Yet another potential job lost. He couldn't understand it. He was perfect for this one and the owner knew it. Nobody else was sane enough to take cattle from rock to rock anyway. The last time they did it, Serenity smelled funny for quite a time and he vowed never to take cattle again. Yet, here he was needing a job and not being able to land even one that involved live animals.

He was purely convinced something was wrong with the verse.

With a sigh, he opened his eyes just to see a plastic stegosaurus under a plastic palm tree staring at him. "You were wrong." He frowned. "This ain't no fertile land." He flicked the dinosaur lightly.

"I see you've taken to playing with plastic toys." The humoured interruption of Inara Serra made him stand and face her automatically. He smirked seeing the blue silk kimono- like robe that clung to her slim frame. He always thought she wore her 'whoring' clothes inside the ship just to torture him. Why else would she, in her right mind, dress up pretty when she was going nowhere?

"Just amusing myself." He answered as casually as possible.

The companion simply nodded. "Oh, I'm sure." She said smiling at the lame cover up he had chosen.

A brief period of silence took over the bridge. The Captain suddenly noticed that these quiet times were coming fairly often between the two of them. They would simply look at each other. In silence. No fighting or anything. They just stood there. He found it very awkward and he did not like it very much.

So like a school boy he shoved both his hands into his pocket. "Inara?" He smiled as sweetly as he could muster. "Why are you here?" He inquired curiously.

"Oh!" The girl snapped out of her own silence. "Just wanted to inform you that River is asleep in my shuttle." She nodded. "And I would like to know where we are going next and for how long." Her smile faltered slightly. "So I can... arrange my schedule." She said choosing her words carefully.

The Captain ran his hand through his hair trying to hide his nerves. "Well, when I decide on that, I'll be sure to let you know." He answered choosing his words carefully.

"You didn't get the job did you?" She deadpanned.

Mal shifted his weight yet somehow managed to keep his confident demeanor. "There are other jobs out there." He replied slightly more defensive than he would've liked. "Better paying ones too." he added. Times like these were not the time to show any sort of weakness.

But the good lady simply sighed. "Are you honestly telling me that isn't the fourth rejection you've had today?" She asked taking a step forward. "It's okay Mal. I have some money saved. Enough to drop the soldiers in Ariel." She offered.

"I ain't taking no charity from you, Inara and that's final." He said firmly.

"But Mal--" She started to argue when she was cut off by the sound of the ship's proximity alert.

The Captain sighed taking his place on the pilot's seat once again. He truly didn't not believe the day could get any worse. However, one look at the dashboard computer's output made his blood turn cold. He checked and rechecked the findings until he couldn't deny or wish any of it any longer. His frowned deepened when he saw smoke on the horizon. "Shiny. Just shiny." He muttered to himself.

"Mal, what is that?" A concerned companion leaned in watching the cloud of yellow smoke get bigger.

"Just an old fashioned boarding ship running without containment that sounds like this." He said in a breezy tone. With a flip of a switch, the bridge was filled with noises of random screeches and ticks and pops.

"Reavers." The girl paled at the realization.

The Captain gave her a wry smile grabbing the radio. "Dear troopers from another world. You folk are in for a real treat. " He announced sarcastically. " We're passing another ship. Looks to be Reavers. Now, it could be nothing so just keep calm and move on. If there's a real need to panic, you'll be the fist to know." He continued. "Kaylee, I need you to take yourself back to the engine room. Zoe, Jayne, bridge now."

-- -- - -

Doc Lecroix didn't particularly like how Simon Tam's eyes grew to saucers when the announcement was made. Coupled with the already pale talented man paling further, it was an obvious sign of fear. And if the good doctor had reason to fear these Reaver- things, then there would be a very good chance they should as well despite the wry tone the Captain had in his broadcast. "Dr. Tam." He called out breaking the silence. "What are Reavers?" He asked.

"The abomination of man kind." He answered quickly though he looked a bit dazed. "Excuse me. I'm going to have to check up on River." He turned and scampered up the stairs like something or someone was chasing him.

"That's helpful." Higgins commented dryly.

"Okaaaay." Gossard dragged the word on as shifted his gaze down on the girl sitting on the floor. "Andy? Do you know what they are?" He inquired.

"Mr. Universe-- His last real broadcast...." She lifted her eyes towards the troopers helplessly. "We didn't get everything. But as far as we could tell, they're a by product of some experiment on some rock. The government placed some sort of hydrochlorate derivative in the air. But it didn't work out as expected--" She started to explain.

"Anderson." Brutto interrupted. "Got no time for a history lesson. Give us the present not the past." He demanded.

The girl cringed. "They're people." She said in a small voice. "But they're not human. Cannibals. Highly aggressive. They can't be reasoned with." She lifted a finger in the air. "Like Orcs." She tried to place a fitting description.

Doc raised an eyebrow at the young trooper. "Andy, we don't know what Orcs are." He informed her. "But it sounds ugly." He added.

"Abomination of man kind- ugly." Carmen Ibanez groaned.

"Well," The medic shrugged. "Nothing we can do about it but sit and wait." He frowned worried. He didn't like how everything was going. It seems like all they have been doing has been sitting and waiting while their fate was handled by somebody else. This, in his opinion, was not good.

Not good at all.

-- -- - - - -

River Tam sat up in a panic. She glanced at every corner for the source of the terrifying voices in her head. Finding none just scared her even more. She had heard these noises before. She could see them. Big and black. Metal embedded on their lacerated skin. They felt no pain that they didn't take pleasure in. She held her head with both hands as it threatened to tear her into pieces.

"Mei mei." Simon, her brother, sat infront of her like he always did. "River." He called out once again. "It's okay, River. They're probably just passing." He tried comforting the girl taking her into his arms.

"No." She moaned. "They're coming. They're hungry." She argued. She could feel their disgusting urges pulse through her and sobbed. "You're wrong Simon. You're wrong." She repeated.

"River..." Her brother fell silent. She knew he knew she was right. The firefly rocked and she closed her eyes. That was it. She could see Serenity caught in the magnetic grappler. Jayne wasn't able to shoot off their ship.

The firefly was caught in a net.

The lights flickered until finally only the emergency lights remained on. "Simon, we have to go. We have to go. They're coming." She cried.

"It's too late. Serenity's lost power. We can't disengage properly." Inara suddenly entered her shuttle like a whirlwind. "Jayne has already brought Kaylee down from the engine room to the infirmary." River watched as she rummaged through her trunk before brandishing the bow and arrow she had previously used. "Mal said they'll come in from the cargo bay. He said we're not going down without a fight." She informed the pair with a small smile.

River shook her head trying to get rid of the stolen thoughts in her head but they just grew in volume. "Simon..." She pleaded before he could even speak though she knew it would be taken differently.

"It's okay, River. We've fought them before. You'll stay in the infirmary with the others." He said leading her down to the said place.

"No." She tried pulling her arm back in vain. She didn't want him fighting without her there as well. But she could hear his thoughts and as usual, her request was taken the wrong way.

"It will be okay, River." He said giving her to the care of the still recovering Kaylee and the injured troopers. "We'll be fine." He smiled to the both of them before the door to the cargo bay slid shut.

She quickly pressed herself against the small window of the door. "Kaylee, this isn't right." She complained when she saw each body outside checking their weapons behind a makeshift barricade of crates. There they were. Serenity's defense against the barbarian space horde was only ten bodies strong. Three of which, Inara, her brother and the reporter, weren't even real fighters. "This is wrong." She said again as the Captain lowered the cargo doors to prevent any more damage to his ship.

The young psychic felt the mechanic's arms wrap around her but she couldn't take her eyes away from the window. "River. Everything will be shiny. You'll see." She said. She lied. At the first sight of Reavers, her face fell and a whimper escaped from her throat. She felt it. They weren't just hungry. They were famished.

"Holy..." One said behind her. A boy with an arm in a sling. Private Max Brutto. "Anderson wasn't kidding."

"That's ugly." Agreed the pilot. Lt. Carmen Ibanez of the Federal Fleet.

Shots were fired. There as a lot of screaming. She heard one person, the medic, praying in his mind while shooting. The reporter Higgins, the Captain, Simon and Jayne were controlling himself from panicking. The mechanic, Gossard and the aptly named medic Doc were trying to convince themselves that they were just another kind of bug. The other girl, the one who doesn't miss, Andy, shot to the fast beat of the song in her head about a sandman coming. And two ladies, both fighters, Dizzy Flores and Zoe only had revenge on their minds mind.

She could see the Reavers fall one by one as they entered and screamed and waved their weapons about. The harpoons made dents into Serenity's walls. But they were still breaking through. She watched as her brother made a mistake of being too high above the crates only to be tackled back down by the Higgins just in time before spikes flew to his direction. "I learned that staying low keeps you alive." He said with a nod.

It was then she felt it. A wave of rage and impatience. "No. Stay there." She mumbled. "Don't..." She turned her eye on the small figure rising from behind the baracades heading into close combat with the Reavers.

"What the hell is Ibanez doing?" The boy exclaimed behind her.

"Diz!" Doc shouted. "Get back in here!"

"She's not going to listen." River predicted shaking her head form side to side.

"What's that little girl think she's doing?" Jayne growled as Dizzy engaged the Reavers.

"Tian ah" The Captain cursed. "Gorram girl's making it more difficult." He managed to say before a spike hit his arm.

"Dizzy!" Gossard reprimanded but was largely ignored. " Andy, cover her. The rest of us will--" He fell backwards reeling in pain holding his arm. River's mouth fell. He's been shot. Their medic quickly dropped his weapon to assist his best friend.

"Simon get him out of here." Zoe yelled. "Doc, you stay. You're a better shot."

"Dr. Tam, tell Brutto to come out and play. He can use your handgun with one hand." Doc nodded.

River moved away when the door opened so that Simon and Kaylee can bring the injured trooper in. "It's unfair." She said quietly when she held the trooper boy back from joining the fray. "I should go." She nodded running out the door before her brother, or anybody else, could stop her.

-- -- -

"Hello, ugly." Dizzy Flores was cut, bruised and hurting. But she didn't care. She hardly felt anything at all. Adrenaline surged through her body. She couldn't stand being behind that barricade any longer. She needed to be free. She needed to hit something. This was what she needed to let all her frustration go.

She ignored them calling out for her to return and get back in line. Can't they understand that this weren't bugs they were dealing with? They didn't need guns to kill this lot. She saw yet another Reaver that was about to attack her drop dead from a bullet shot and cursed the trooper that she knew shot her enemy. She didn't need her backup. She managed to kill several on her own already. These Reavers were strong but they weren't the smartest creatures.

In her opinion, they didn't stand a chance.

Suddenly, she felt herself bump into something. She turned and saw a wide eyed girl fighting gracefully right beside her. Everyone of her blocks and hits were calculated and exact. It was like choreographed ballet. Dizzy has never seen anything like it. It didn't changer her opinion of her.

She hated River Tam.

This was the girl who got Carl. It annoyed her that the younger girl was helping her fight. But her annoyance didn't compare to the extreme anger she felt when River used her own momentum against her and pushed her towards the barricade and away from the charging Reavers. She stumbled into Doc's arm. A stolen glance told her that River just leaped above the crates for cover.

"Jayne! Grenade!" The Captain yelled.

"Finally." The big man muttered throwing one in. "Get your head down!"

There was an explosion followed by everyone getting their weapons ready just in case a Reaver came through the cloud of smoke and piles of fire. But the smoke eventually settled though the fires burned the piles of bodies even more brightly. None of them got up.

It was over.

--- --

Translation

Tian a-- God...


	8. Split

Chapter 8: Split

"Incoming." Kaylee sang outside the infirmary where the troopers, Inara, Jayne, Zoe and River were getting patched up. She could see the Captain was angry. It wasn't in just the way he walked. It was how the lines on his face looked deeper than normal. When the Captain was angry, he looked older.

She couldn't understand why he was angry though. They successfully lived through a Reaver invasion and they didn't blow up while doing an emergency landing in Beaumonde. In fact, they should be celebrating they were still alive. Serenity needs a few parts but she could be fixed. But there he was, marching down the stairs in a terrible mood.

He went straight to Dizzy Flores who was currently sulking while getting stitches on her arm from the good Dr. Tam. "What kind of fengkuang junren charges in alone in the heat of battle?" He demanded.

"Now, Captain." Kaylee tried to calm him down even just a little bit. " She's getting patched up still Maybe you could scream and yell and such later?" She suggested.

Unfortunately for the mechanic, her call for clemency was ignored by both parties. "I might not know what a fengkuang whatever is, but I was just trying to help." She defended herself.

"That so?" Mal answered back. "Girl, you could have gotten us all sliced up and eaten alive. Don't they teach you how to stay in line in your fancy school?"

"You would've been goners if we didn't help." Dizzy poked the Captain.

Kaylee cringed. This does not bode well. The Captain was turning a weird shade of red. She exchanged worried glances with the trooper beside her. "Shouldn't we do something?" She asked. But the reporter just shook his head and shrugged. It was already too late.

"Well, anymore of this kind of help from you folk is not appreciated in my boat." Mal replied eying the girl with contempt.

"Fine. Then take us to a medical facility in this rock and we'll be off your boat." She requested.

"Mal..."

"Dizzy..."

"What!" The two shouted in unison to their respective groups.

"The proper authorities can get us back home faster than these people. We can't fly around helping them out in their illegal activities. We helped them enough and look what we get? Rico hasn't woken up. That girl busted Carl and we get shot at by the space scum. If nobody's taking command, I am." She argue before the troopers could put a word in.

"Captain, they don't know what it's like in these parts--" A deeply worried Kaylee reminded Serenity's crew of their predicament.

"No. They want out. Shiny." The Captain said quickly. "Zoe, when you're done, prep the hover and drop them in a hospital" He ordered.

Kaylee gave the older woman a tentative glance and shook her head lightly. Zoe, to her credit just sighed. "Mal, maybe you should wait until cooler heads prevail." Zoe suggested in her usual strict demeanor.

"Zoe." The Captain turned. " When you're done, prep the hover and drop them in a hospital." He repeated slowly these time.

Zoe gave the mechanic a small apologetic look. "Yes Captain." She finally submitted.

Out of the side of her eye, Kaylee saw a hand waving from someone seated on the floor. "Captain Reynolds?" A trooper stood up slowly. "I'm technically still all paid for a ride to Ariel and I don't mind doing the odd jobs along the way as long as I'm not required to kill anyone. If I stay, will you take me there?" She asked curiously.

"If you got no issues with being part of the crew until Ariel, I don't see anything wrong with you being here." The Captain smirked before he disappeared back up the stairs. "Always wanted a cook."

Kaylee's eyes grew wide when all the troopers turned their heads to the only other girl in their squad. The girl just gave them a guilty smile. "I think I'm going to stay." She said in a quiet tone that wasn't lost on the others. "I'm definitely going to stay." She nodded decisively.

-- -- -- -

Jeffrey Gossard just fixed his gaze on the girl calmly sitting on the floor beside him. In the Valley Forge she had the tendency to keep to herself with her computer and her odd habits like going to sim training alone while everyone's asleep, reading everything she can get her hands on or having music blasting in her ears while she's asleep. She always answered questions honestly, although, sometimes it required a decoder ring to decipher. There were moments when she acted like she was much older than her age and others when she became completely were things the Roughnecks have gotten used to. It was almost endearing.

What they haven't quite reconciled was how her thought process works. Whenever he catches her just mindlessly staring onto the distance, he always wondered if they were seeing the same things. She once told him that she thought plasma bugs reminded her of a really cool lava lamp. She wouldn't go against Dizzy or anybody else for that matter, during hand to hand until forced to. She thought it was silly. She reasoned she was never going hand to hand with a bug, after all, so why bother. (Which is not the point of hand to hand combat. H2H is for training.)

So when she said she was going to stay, it occurred to the mechanic that this was going to be one of those moments when they weren't matching up again. Only, this time, the matter on hand wasn't as trivial and Dizzy wasn't as patient as Rico or Zim. "What?" Dizzy had deadpanned raising an eyebrow at the younger girl after Serenity's crew cleared the room at Higgins' prompting. "You're going to stay?" She crossed her arms against her chest more frustrated than confused.

Andy nodded easily enough. "Yup. I'm going to stay." She reaffirmed with a small smile.

"Why?" Dizzy demanded.

"Because I think it's a good idea to stick to the original plan." She shrugged.

"I don't know if anybody's told you," Dizzy kept her stunned expression in check, "but the "original plan" isn't working out. My plan might be a long shot and it'll take a bit of convincing but at least we'd be getting somewhere."

Higgins stepped forward and winced. "Rico did get shot, Andy." He said.

"Jenkins' brain is fried." Doc added slowly.

"Not to mention what they do is illegal." Carmen continued.

"Hate to say it, Anderson, but Flores' plan sounds pretty good. We're just getting hurt here." Max Brutto admitted.

The girl tilted her head slightly to one side and shrugged again. "So go. I didn't ask you to stay with me." She stood up and sighed. "And I'm not stopping you from doing what you guys want to do. Leave if you want to leave." She replied firmly.

"Andy, what part of 'We don't leave a man behind' did you not understand. We're in this together." Dizzy emphasized. "I don't even know why you want to stay. Everytime that doctor of theirs is in the same room as you he ends up calling you things in Chinese which you don't even want to translate for us. His little sister is a crazy freak. The lady Brutto likes so much is a hooker. And the Captain and his followers are just plain dangerous." She exclaimed.

"Diz." Andy said in such a serious tone that even Gossard was surprise that it came out from her. "I didn't want to help them escape Higgins' moon." She revealed. "I didn't want to go through a system I didn't know that well and temporarily register this ship. I warned Rico that if we get caught with these sort, we're going to get into trouble we know nothing about. But he ordered me to do it anyway. He said-- and I quote-- "Helping them will help us." The fact that we got away shouldn't be merited to any skill of mine. That was pure luck. Bonus that I didn't have to lie on the register either because we actually know a Robert Higgins." She continued on. "You have a good plan. You should follow it. I just want to see if Rico's way works out too." She finished.

"Well, he was wrong." The red head replied bitterly.

"Just want to let you know, the hover is ready. We're going to do two trips. We'll get you all there first then come back for the other two." Zoe interrupted and just as quickly left.

That's when the younger girl smirked. "Interestingly enough,nobody knows if that's true yet." She smiled. "The chariot awaits." She motioned for the door.

Gossard watched bitterly as the troopers said goodbye one by one before heading towards the cargo bay. She told Higgins to remember to breathe. She exchanged a big friendly hug with Doc. She reminded Brutto to be smart and told Ibanez to stop crashing planes. She turned and smiled at him just as Brutto reluctantly left the room. "You're going to miss your ride." She pointed at the doorway.

"Andy, I'm staying with you. You can't stay here alone." He managed to say.

"Yes, I can. You know I can. Besides, you want to go and they need you more than I do." She grinned taking several steps forward then stood on the tip of her toes." Because here's the secret second reason, Mech." She whispered into his ear. "We both know it'll take more than a day to fix everything here. If Dizzy's plan heads south, you have time to head back here within that timeframe. It'll be much easier to convince the Captain to let you back in if one of us stays behind. And if it works out, you'll know where I'll be." She explained then took a step back. "So stop fretting, Jeffrey Gossard. I'll be- ahem- shiny." She folded her arms obviously proud of herself.

Gossard eyed the girl in awe and shook his head. "You're crazy." He chuckled pulling her close for a hug. "You know, I'm going to come get you right?" He asked before releasing her.

She just gave him a thumbs up sign. "So long and thanks for all the fish." She smirked.

-- -- - -

The Maidenhead bar was as busy as usual. The lights just as loud as the patrons that often the place. It was perfect. So many things were happening at the same time-- the pair of legs enticing men as they went past, the noisy screens showing whatever happens to be transmitted, the ladies dancing with fans and of course the indistinguishable Sino influenced music blaring through the speakers-- that he could simply hide in plain sight.

He had taken many identities in his travels. It was easy to slip by with the use of common names. Today for example, he is using one that a sports minded family would give their male children. According to the bartender, he's already had two Michael Jordan's come in. He would be the third.

He sat on a private booth alone with his drink just watching this disgusting world spin when he caught a curious figure relinquishing his gun on the locker wheel. The man simply stopped at the head of the stairs eying everything below like he owned the establishment before starting his way, in his opinion, down the rabbit hole.

Michael Jordan's eyes grew when he recognized the man and quickly bowed his head pretending to be drunk although he kept his eyes on the newcomer. A pair of twins greeted him at the foot of the stairs. "Mingo," The man shook the first twin's hand before taking the second's. "Fanty."

"I'm Mingo, he's Fanty." The second twin grinned.

"Apologies." The nobleman motioned to a nearby booth-- the very booth behind his in fact. He has decided that this new man did not know who he was dealing with. Fanty and Mingo played a game with their appearances. This was how they judged the character of the man they're dealing with. They were nearly identical. Nearly. To a careful observer like himself, the difference in height was staggering. Fanty was shorter by only the tiniest measure and therefore, he actually had them right the first time around. Showing that he didn't care which one was which not only gave the twins notice that he was green but he also risked not being taken seriously.

Michael shifted in his seat so that he would look like he was looking at the bar's main floor instead of the hazy figures behind the veil of red. "We were quite surprised that a man of your stature would be calling on us." The real Fanty said.

"So shocked in fact that we couldn't resist meeting you ourselves." Mingo continued.

"Well, gentlemen, things have changed." The nobleman tossed a two kilogram sack their way. There was a clinking noise when it landed on the table-- which meant only thing. Money was passing hands.

Mingo carefully took one out of the sack and let it roll on his fingers. "It has changed indeed." He agreed.

"However, we're even more tickled now." Fanty took the coin from Mingo to inspect it.

"This is well and good. However, a person like yourself should understand that we profit much more than this." Mingo mentioned casually.

The man nodded taking a card out of his breast pocket and sliding it to their direction. "Yes, he said you might say that." The man grinned.

Fanty nodded reading the card and passing it back. "He has quite an impressive reputation." He said with a charming smile.

"But so does the man you're after." His brother added. "We wonder if you know how weixian our dear Malcom Reynolds really is."

"We know." The man nodded before rising and taking his leave.

Michael Jordan shook his head hoping that Malcom Reynolds was far far away from this part of the Verse. "Barmaid!" He called out to a passing girl. "Something stronger." He pointed to his cup. He needed something to help disinfect his mind from the event he just witnessed.

Greed had just made a deal with Wrath and Envy.

-- - - -

Andy sat atop a crate and sighed when the hover carrying Carl Jenkins and Rico faded into the busy city. She smiled humourlessly just thinking about the situation she was in. The fact that the Roughnecks were really gone struck her a bit odd. She had always considered herself as the outsider of their little merry group, largely because she lacked the history they all had. She was the only one without any sort of connection with the lieutenant they close to dietify. Maxi at least was the son of the sergeant who served under Lt. Razak. But now that they were gone, there was something weird that she couldn't quite place her finger on. "Oh well. We don't say goodbye." She shrugged to herself jumping off the crate just to come face to face with a waiting River Tam who was just staring at her.

"Helloooo little psychic." She gave the girl a small poorly delivered wave not knowing what else to do.

River just stood still and blinked. "You're wrong you know." She said.

"I think you need to be more specific." She replied amused by how the girl acted and reacted. Her psyche seemed so childlike. It was hard to believe she was only a few years behind her.

"You are alone." River stated.

"No I'm not." Andy defended in a self assured manner. "You're here." She pointed out.

"Yes. But I am not a Roughneck." The psychic argued.

"But you're a psychic. And, apparently, you can't control your ability much." Andy grinned bending down so they could see eye to eye. "So,I'm sure several things have coursed through you. " She smiled mischievously. "What's up with Doc and the strawberry blonde medic from the Valley Forge?" She asked. River's eyes grew wide and her pale cheeks blushed a slight crimson. Andy's jaw dropped. "I knew it!" She announced to no one in particular.

"What are you two ladies going?" The Captain suddenly interrupted coming down from the catwalk above.

"Gossiping?" Andy offered lightly.

Captain Reynolds just eyed the two and slowly nodded. The trooper recognized that expression. That's the one everybody gives her when they don't know whether to take her seriously or not."Okay." He finally replied deciding to disregard her answer. He handed her one of SICON's hand guns. "Might be smart to be armed seein' as you're coming to town with us. This ain't the safest place in the verse." He said looking out into the city.

Andy inspected the gun before hiding it behind her underneath her black jacket. "Out?" She asked taking a look at all the dented and scorched metal, loose hanging panels and sparking wires that seemed to surround them. "We're not going to weld the night away?" She inquired curiously.

The Captain shook his head. "You can make this place as pretty as you want but she still won't fly. That grappler did more damage than you reckon. Serenity needs parts. Parts need money. Money we don't got right at this second. Which leads us to the need to get job." He explained. "Maybe a little one on one time would do it." He mumbled, which Andy guessed, she was not meant to hear. "Besides, I thought you, not being from around these parts, wouldn't oppose to some sightseeing. Little Albatross here makes a great tour guide." He smirked.

"Cool." Andy replied smiling at the daunting neon city ahead of her. "The city of blinding lights."

--

translation:

fengkuang junren -- insane soldier

weixian -- dangerous


	9. Winging it

Chapter 9:: Winging it

"You don't work with computers back home?" Simon Tam asked confused.

"No." The newcomer shook her head as they took a seat at an empty table in the bar. "That's something that came up in highschool." She answered promptly.

"And you're not a cook of any sort?" Kaylee exchanged the same perplexed look with the doctor.

Captain Reynolds sighed when the new girl just shook her head letting Kaylee, Simon and Jayne continue on some game of twenty questions. He didn't mind them trying to get the know the only trooper left with them. He only wished that they would do that later. It bothered him that wearing Kaylee's loose clothes helped little in blending her in. He already didn't quite like the fact that they weren't in the Maidenhead. That was their normal place of business after all.

Instead, they were instructed to meet at a bar called Goubuli. Anywhere would have been truly fine with him as long as there's work involved for certain. But Goubuli was one of those licensed restaurants with different outlets all over this rock, some of which looked better than the rest. The one they were at was pretty much the opposite of the Maidenhead. It would've looked like another dusty bar at a far border moon if not for the small screens at the corner showing random shows and the entertainment provided by one man with a guitar and a mic at a small makeshift stage.

Mal didn't like it one bit especially because they haven't landed the job yet.

"This isn't their usual style, Sir." Zoe leaned across the table keeping her eyes on the bar's patrons. "I think it's a trap."

Mal just gave his first mate a shrug agreeing with the assessment while splitting the disposable wooden chopsticks. "We need this, Zoe. Serenity ain't gonna fix herself." He replied taking a dumpling from the plate in between them. "At least the dumplings are good." He nodded appreciating the taste of real food.

Another plate of steaming hot dumplings was laid on their table much to his surprise. "Sorry, miss. This ain't ours to pay." He said automatically.

The waitress just glanced off to another table where, to his surprise, a pair of twins sat comfortably half hidden by folding screens. "The bill." She said passing on a piece of paper before moving away.

Captain Reynolds unfolded the bill and frowned at the scrawled message before giving Zoe a humourless smile. "Any ideas?" He asked showing her the note discreetly.

"They need a diversion?" She eyed the note suspiciously. "Sir, I recommend we walk away from this deal. Quite clear they do not want to be seen with any of us. It smells like trouble." She warned.

"First of all," the captain held a finger up. "They never want to be seen with us." He smiled. "And two-- it always smells like trouble." He said before muttering to himself. "Too bad Inara had people to please. Could've used her distracting skills right here." He snapped his fingers together proudly. "We can always start a tussle." He grinned.

"And attract the local authorities?" She shook her head.

The two fell silent blankly staring at each other. Suddenly, there was a sound of chopsticks breaking at the end of the table. Mal eyed the frozen trooper. "Something wrong with the dumplings kid?" He asked when her eyes closed for a moment.

"Nope." She answered curtly.

"It's the music. The song is severely out of tune." River firmly said.

The girl smirked. "Exactly. It's like you read my mind." She agreed.

Jayne rolled his eyes. "Ain't this one of em' folk songs from Earth that was?" He defended.

And that's when the Captain saw his newly adopted crew member wide eyed and slackjawed for the first time. " Folk. Song?" She repeated appalled. "The members of Bon Jovi would be rolling in their graves." She pouted.

"You think you can do it better? I don't see you getting off your behind to play some. All I hear is chatter. Is that what you used to do in Earth that was before this soldiering? Yak?" Jayne taunted popping a dumpling in his mouth.

"Jayne!" Kaylee reprimanded. "Now, Andy. Don't listen to him. He's just a big bully."

The girl stood up and crossed her arms."Actually, I used to be a musician." She revealed. "But I don't sing lead... " She flinched when the man hit a bad note that even the Captain noticed. "Seriously, anything to make him stop this insanity." She marched towards the entertainer. "Folk song." They heard her say in disbelief.

Captain Mal Reynolds watch the two talk underneath the bright lights. Much to his amusement, the man just eyed her in shock and handed her the guitar and his cowboy hat. Andy quickly lifted the strap over he head and started adjusting the strings. A bottle of beer was thrown her way marking one patron's impatience but missed. "What's that gorram girl doing?" They heard someone else demand.

"This ain't looking good sir." Zoe whispered watching the girl dodge another bottle while she tested the sound of each string.

Finally, she raised her head defiantly and raked the strings upwards. After a few seconds of playing the riffs, Mal couldn't help notice the silence that had taken over the bar. The similarities between the songs couldn't be denied. It was the very same song played differently. Brighter somehow. "It's all the same. Only the names have changed. Everyday it seems we're wasting away. Another place, where the faces are so cold. I'd drive all night just to get back home." She sang like she was just talking an invisible person infront of her.

Mal saw Kaylee elbow Jayne who had stopped chewing on his dumpling. The doctor eyed a smiling River. And Mal exchanged a knowing smile with Zoe. "She ain't bad." She commented.

"Coz I'm a cowboy. On a steel horse I ride. I'm wanted dead or alive. Dead or alive." The girl tried to conceal a smirk unsuccessfully before looking down at the guitar strings she was plucking.

"Good song." Mal smiled motioning for the both of them to slip into the twins' booth. Zoe silently inquired about taking Jayne as well by tilted her head towards the man. But Mal shook his head disagreeing with their usual protocol. After the last few days, he had taken to leaving one person with the younger crew.

Mal Reynolds let a smile play on his lips for a few seconds as they slinked towards the booth relatively unseen. This was working out better than he expected.

-- -- - - -

Robert Higgins never thought he would ever wish that he was in some bug infested place trying to kill bugs. But at the moment, that was all he could think about. Who would have thought that he would think of the bug war as 'happier times'? However, compared to their present situation, the war was, in Rico's terms, a piece of cake.

Getting Rico and Carl into a state- controlled hospital was the easy part. Zoe had dropped them all there, after all, and left them with money that she claims the Captain secretly agreed upon with Rico for helping them in Canton. Once Zoe disappeared, Dizzy ran in the hospital and a whole medical crew came out and took the two out of the ground and into the hospital. That's where all the money went. It was enough to keep the two in the hospital but it wasn't enough to pay the doctors to take a look at both troopers.

So here they were in what the hospital staff said was city hall. And here he was trying to argue with the receptionist when Dizzy was pulled away to cool off. Higgins knew he was getting nowhere with the bored expression on the man's face. "Please, Sir. We just need to see the mayor. Or an under sheriff or a government official with some capacity to get us home." He pleaded.

The receptionist just blankly stared at him. "And where is home again?" He asked.

The paperboy paused and sighed knowing how ridiculous he would sound. "Earth." He barely mumbled.

"What was that?" The man leaned in. The corners of his lips were starting to rise.

"Earth." The trooper repeated a bit more loudly this time.

The receptionist laughed out loud and Higgins sighed at the follow up. "Hate to break it to you, son." The man wiped a tear from his eye. "But you're mighty late to be going back there. There's a reason why it's called Earth- that- was. Past tense. It's been gone since way back." He continued leaning back on his chair.

"That's the thing. It's still there. Earth, I mean." He tried to reason but his persistance made the man laugh harder. "No. Really. The Anglo- Sino Alliance is part of SICON-- who we all work for and...." He sighed in defeat. "Please stop laughing, sir. This isn't something I can make up myself."

But he didn't stop. Robert Higgins turned his head at his squadmates and shrugged much to their dismay. "Sir." He tried once more. "I just need to talk to someone. Anyone that isn't you." He said a bit more forcefully this time.

Much to his surprise, the man straightened in his chair and stopped laughing. The trooper watched the receptionist's gaze shift from him to someone behind him. "Is there something the matter here?" Higgins slowly turned and saw a well dressed man in grew eying the receptionist with great severity. "We don't great our citizens with ridicule." He raised an eyebrow and the man behind the table paled.

"Apologies, Sir." The man stood from his seat. "It's just that this gentleman was telling me a tall tale- like kongxiang about Earth- that- was and a SICON and the like. I apologize." He bowed.

But that wasn't what sent a chill down the FedNet reporter's spine. It was this new person's calculating eyes landing on him and the Roughnecks. It was one of those glances he thought would rival the one Sgt. Zim casts on them. The man suddenly broke into a smile. "Well, let me handle this from here." He nodded before motioning to a hall way across the room. "If you would all follow me. I will try my best to sort this story out." He said leading the way.

Higgins felt a shove from behind prompting him to keep step with the man. He shyly held out his hand. "My name is Robert Higgins." He introduced himself politely.

The man shook his hand firmly like he has been doing this all his life. "Atherton Wing."

-- -- - --

"We see you have a new recruit and she's not half bad." Fanty said.

"You do keep surprising us with your people, Mal." Mingo grinned tossing a coin absently to the waitress they had hired to keep quiet. It was true. He's had several conversations with his brother about the Captain and his rather talented crew. Whenever they had someone even remotely talented in something they had to fight tooth and nail, often heads as well, to keep them from being pirated by other parties. The other ships they deal with often have a revolving members of which only the Captain would remain the same.

But the crew of Serenity was different. They were always the same until death comes to them. There was always Captain Reynolds, Zoe, Jayne, Kaylee their mechanic, the two that had caused trouble in the Maidenhead and until his untimely death, Zoe's husband Wash.

Truthfully, Mingo rather liked it. Having different people all the time meant not knowing if they can do the job done. It was unreliable. But having people you know have done jobs over and over again-- well, they were special. They were more reliable.

However, they were also very hard to bargain with.

"Fanty." The Captain turned to his brother before turning to him. "Mingo."

And as usual, they would both grin the same grin almost like it was their cue. They had made a living like this. This was how they tested people. "I'm Mingo. He's Fanty." His brother tried correcting the dear Captain.

Mingo saw Zoe roll her eyes in annoyance as Mal just blinked at them. "I seem to recollect that we've been through this several times." He stated plainly. "You're Fanty. He's Mingo."

"He always knows." Fanty grinned.

"You always know." Mingo said filled with humour. That was another thing he liked about the Captain. He could tell them apart even when they were wearing exactly the same things. It was another source of endless guesses between him and Fanty. The ability earned Mal Reynolds their collective respect, Fanty's ire and his fondness for the crew. "But tell us, Mal, where did you pick this one up?" He shifted his gaze to the girl who started singing another song that was prompted by the previous entertainer.

"Ta shi buguan ni de shi." Zoe waved off the question easily.

"She's right." Mal leaned back on his seat. "Let's hear it." He crossed his arms watching them both carefully.

Mingo smiled knowing his expression was one of amusement and Fanty's smile was one trying to hide his annoyance. It didn't matter much to people who can't tell the difference since he knew they still looked exactly the same on the outside. But somehow he always thought that the Captain can tell somehow. "Business then." He nodded.

"Business." Fanty echoed with his own nod. "But we're telling you now, if you are successful, our cut is forty percent." He warned.

"Again." Mal questioned the two. "I seem to recall this conversation."

"Yes." Mingo nodded warily. "But you see Mal, I also seem to recall a certain bar that was utterly trashed by your little friend." He pointed out.

"You're dangerous, Mal." Fanty said. "You make a business people nervous. It's very unsettling." Mingo resisted his urge to show just how much he disagreed with that perception of Fanty's. His brother was the one who worried too much about Serenity's crew which he didn't fully understand. They've never really failed them before. The jobs were always done. Complications always came up after the fact.

Captain Reynolds gave them a small smile. "Why don't the pair of you just tell us what the job is and then we can nit pick the commission." He suggested.

Mingo shrugged. "Fine." He sang before his brother could say otherwise.

Fanty was forced to give the crew the information on a piece of paper concerning the deal at hand. "It's a very delicate matter as you can see." He very subtly elbowed his brother-- a sign that they would be having a talk later.

Zoe's face automatically sour upon reading the note. "Captain..." She shook her head in warning.

"Of course, you'll be paid the usual. Half now, half upon delivery." Mingo tempted knowing that the lady would never disobey her superior's orders.

"And if this is done correctly, we will not be implicated." His brother continued.

"And neither will you." He reassured.

Mingo could almost see the wheels turning in Mal's mind as the silence between the two parties wore on. It was a difficult decision. There was a lot of money involved but this needed a light hand not the hard fist their usual encounters required. Even the twin himself did not know if Mal was suited for the job. But he did know one thing. Captain Mal Reynolds was one of those people who were crazy enough to try.

The twin knew he would not be disappointed when Mal lifted his gaze and smirked. "Shiny." He grinned.

-- -- - -

Jayne Cobb decided he should stop drinking sake when people were telling him stuff. It was such a waste spitting it out due to shock. The first time around they were still in the bar. Zoe hurriedly left him in charge which was normally something he'd like. Only this time, it was just a nicer way of telling him to babysit the rest of them. Jayne did not like to babysit-- especially since one of them happened to be crazy, one of them too proper, the other far too cheerful and the other he knew almost nothing about. But Mal and Zoe had disappeared before he could protest.

The second time he wasted his drink was when they were in the dining room of Serenity later that night. Apparently, the manager kept tip jars for performers and invited her back for tomorrow night's entertainment. According to Kaylee, the new girl earned enough to buy a few articles of clothing, food and maybe spare parts. So the mechanic decided to take her shopping in the midnight market.

When he thought he should maybe retire, Mal and Zoe came back up to the dining room and announced what they were going to do the next day. "We're going to kidnap Atherton Wing." Mal announced pulling a seat for himself.

And Jayne wasted another mouthful of alcohol. "What?!" He exclaimed in shock.

"Exactly what I said." Zoe shook her head seated in between them.

"Ain't he in Persephone?" Jayne questioned trying to recover from his disbelief.

"He's right here in town." Mal jabbed the table.

"Didn't he try to kill you that one time with the sword?" The bigger man pointed out before leaning towards the Captain. "In actuality, didn't he stab you one time with the sword?"

"Why Jayne, I didn't know you've got such a good memory." Zoe teased.

"I seem to recall I stabbed him twice." Mal defended himself.

Jayne's lips twitched slightly as his disbelief increased. "Gorram it Mal, ain't he some big shot noble man? Everybody's going to see him missing at that fancy party of theirs." He warned.

"Actually, he's a top of the line parliament man now." The Captain corrected him bluntly. "And in his meteoric rise to the top, he burned a few bridges, broke some ribs, stepped on a few toes." He smiled wistfully. "In fact, he's even trying to outlaw companions." He said feigning a horrified expression.

Jayne's eyes widened and his face flinched for a second just staring at a man he once thought was smart. " Parliament man..." He muttered standing up. He took several gulps of alcohol before setting his gaze on the ship's Captain. "You're psychotic." He jabbed a finger at the Captain before storming off to bed. "A man would think he'd be happy them companions are being outlawed. Gets Inara all to himself then." He mumbled as he went through the halls.

"What did you say?" The captain yelled out after him.

"Ain't saying nothing!" He answered back.

Maybe when he wakes up, this conversation would have all been a dream.

Jayne surely hopes so.

-- -- -

translation

kongxiang:: fantasy

Ta shi buguan ni de shi :: She's none of your business

Goubuli:: An actual restaurant chain in china. They have very good dumplings. Actually, that's what they're known for. It was founded in 1858 and is one of the oldest brands in China. There are different stories on how this restaurant started so I won't bore you. BUT I will say this-- if you want to eat the best dumplings Goubuli has to offer, you have to go the Goubuli headquarters in Tianjin. They even 'teach' you how to wrap your own.


	10. Occupational Hazards

Chapter10: Occupational hazards

Carmen Ibanez sighed at the sight of her friend uncomfortably sleeping on a chair beside Rico's bed. She didn't want to wake Dizzy Flores up. The trooper insisted on staying behind to look after Rico and Jenkins while the rest took up Mr. Wing's offer of accommodations. For the first time in a long while, Carmen was able to sleep on an actual bed in a hotel room with a private washroom. And although she had thoroughly enjoyed it last night and this morning, it was making her feel guilty right now. Dizzy Flores had no such luxury.

She had a plastic chair

So it was understandable that she didn't want to rouse the girl from her sleep. The circles around Dizzy's eyes were just made even more obvious by her pale complexion. She was obviously tired but wasn't the type to leave the people she loved alone. "Dizzy?" She shook the sleeping girl lightly. "We're suppose to meet Mr. Wing in awhile." She reminded the sleepy trooper eying her doubtfully.

"I'm up. Let's go." She yawned stretching her arms upwards as if waking up in a hospital was the most normal thing in the wold.

Carmen Ibanez couldn't help but smile. Sometimes it could be a real pain when the other girl didn't know when to give up. It wasn't like that today. "How are they?" She handed her a paper bag with a sandwich inside.

The girl shrugged. "A bunch of sleepy heads." She gave the pilot a small smile. "I bet they'd wake up if Zim were here to yell." She added before taking a bite off her sandwich.

The pilot chuckled. "I can hear it now." She replied dryly. " Lots of yelling about washouts and maggots."

The girl snorted trying to fix her hair single handed as she watched her reflection on the small mirror. "All hail the power of Zim." She answered.

"All hair the power of Zim." Carmen echoed following the girl out of the hospital and heading towards city hall just a few buildings away. The sounds of the big city hussle enveloped them as they walked beneath the late afternoon sun. The pilot couldn't understand this place. It was noisy. People were constantly milling about talking in two different languages at once. There were big light fixtures for signs. Bamboo stilts overhead where people hung their laundry. It was like a hodge podge mix of cultures and different points in time merging into one place in the universe.

It was giving her a headache.

She felt relieved when they entered the building that cut off the noise outside. The sight of the other troopers waiting for them added to that feeling of security. Roughnecks banter was always a comforting thing to hear. She knew better than anyone that unless they were ordered to keep quiet, they wouldn't. A silent Alpha squad was a bad omen.

"Hey Dizzy!" Gossard smirked. "Rocking that bed head look I see."

Dizzy simply punched the man playfully on the shoulder. "You're just jealous." She replied. "It's not my fault you're obsessed about shaving your head."

Ibanez eyed the mechanic's frozen shocked expression and Doc's laughter with much amusement. There was a story here she didn't know. And by the looks of it, Higgins and Brutto didn't know what it was either. "It's an obsession?" She inquired as they walked towards the Atherton Wing's office.

"This happened back in OPC." Doc smirked. "The Sarge and I were helping him repair a marauder. We were welding. And this girl mechanic from another squad walked past the repair bay. Pretty boy here took a few steps our way and turned to look." He chuckled at the memory. "Well, a spark went off from the Sarge's torch and landed on his hair." The medic started to snicker.

Higgins' jaw dropped. "No. Way."

"And he was wearing hair gel--" The medic shrugged breaking into laughter before he could finished his sentence.

"Hair is an occupational hazard." He stated before the door to their intended room swooshed open.

The pilot's face fell at what lay before her. The neatly stacked papers from the day before were now littered on the ground. Bookshelves have toppled over spilling numerous handhelds broken on the floor. The wooden table was askew and the large leather chair was in pieces. "Apparently, so is having a balcony." She turned slowly pointing at the long and wide piece of cloth which would've been lost with the wind if it weren't tied to the railing.

Carmen bit her lower lip. Roughnecks stunned to silence was a bad omen indeed.

-- -- -

Simon Tam felt Kaylee lace her fingers with his underneath the table. He held her hand firmly before giving her a small smile. Across him, he could see his sister trying to look away by looking everywhere. It wasn't that she could see what the mechanic did. It was the thoughts that made her uncomfortable. And seeing that she had no escape, the doctor saw his sister take more dumplings and eye the performer currently encouraging the patrons of Koubuli to a sing along.

The doctor couldn't help wonder how much she would be bringing in today. The money the trooper had earned in tips the day before was enough for the cheap guitar she was playing, several pieces of clothing including, the pale blue Chinese- styled sleeveless dress and the black form fitting knee length pants she was wearing now and food. Sure, it was actually Kaylee's promptings that forced her to shop and the clothes she bought were bargain items. But it was enough to make him wonder how she decided to fight a war against over sized insects.

And probably for the tenth time since Andy had started playing, they watched her push up the sleeves of her black army jacket and tug on the Chinese collar. He felt Kaylee sigh disapprovingly. "I told her to just leave the jacket with us." She said.

River just gave her a face. "The collar." She pointed out. "It's uncomfortable."

Simon stifled a chuckle at the shocked expression Kaylee was giving his sister. The dress was the mechanic's idea after all. It was times like these he was happy none of them currently had the skill to do what the Captain requires in whatever exploit they were on now. Mal, he was sure, would've asked River to come along with them. However, due to recent events, River was once again deemed too unstable to go along. In reality, she's recovered from the incident and he chose not to tell the Captain about it. If his little sister was infront of him, he didn't have to worry as much

It was then that he watched River sit up as if she were looking for something in the crowd. "River, is something wrong?" He asked as she finally steadied her gaze at the twins, Fanty and Mingo, half hidden in their booth talking to someone.

"We have to go." She barely whispered wide eyed in fear. "Now." She stood up heading towards the stairs to the exit.

"What about Andy?" Kaylee protested.

"She's a soldier. She can take of herself." He reassured her and tugged her to follow his little sister out.

But just as they were half- way up, ten large men appeared with their weapons on hand. They were all surrounding one well dressed elderly man. The old man adjusted his glasses as he pointed to Fanty and Mingo's booth.

Simon watched his sister turn automatically to head down the stairs while hiding her face. "Kitchen." She instructed him. He led Kaylee down the stairs after her. By the side of his eye, he saw the group surround Fanty and Mingo. He couldn't hear what they were talking about but it didn't take long when he saw Fanty stand up and helplessly lifted a finger their way. "Why kill us when they're the ones you want!" He pleaded.

That's when the music stopped.

Doctor Tam watched as the restaurant owner ordered the trooper to stop playing quickly handing her the tips she had earned. The girl seemed to have questioned the gesture but the owner just pointed towards the direction of Fanty and Mingo shaking his head. The man mouthed out four words the doctor never wanted to hear. "Better get out fast."

It was like everything moved in slow motion.

Andy turned to him with a confused expression. He turned just in time to see a beer bottle nearly hit him. All hell had broken loose in the dumpling shop. He saw some of the diners were fighting the the old man's underlings just to be shot down or cut by their weapons. In fact, at that moment, he was frozen solid against one man with a sword swinging down at him.

Just before the blade could do any damage he was tackled off his feet. "River?" He asked stunned at his little sister going against a man thrice her size and winning.

"Simon are you ok?" Kaylee lowered herself to her knees in concern not knowing there was another underling behind her.

He quickly pushed her away. The bludgeon aimed for her embedded itself on the wooden floor. Anger and adrenaline rushed through his system as he rose to his feet and quickly kicked the man in the face. He doubled over before charging right for him. He steadied himself trying to remember what Dizzy Flores had taught him. And in less than a second, he had used his enemy's momentum against him. He was on the floor.

But instead of staying down, the man just rolled back up angrier than ever. Just then a flying plate hit him on his temples. The man fell unconscious. He turned to see where the plate had came from and saw the trooper by the bar give him a peace sign before dodging a right hook and swinging her guitar towards the man's head.

Just as that man fell, another one took his place against her. She fell to the ground in pain yet stood up once again for more punishment. And it was glaringly obvious to Simon that Andy wasn't nearly as good as Dizzy Flores or his sister who was currently disabling two men at the same time.

"Simon!" He heard Kaylee call out. He faced her just to see that she was being held with a gun pointed to her head.

"Tell them to stop." The man ordered him. "We just want the--"

But before he could even finish his demands, a knife embedded itself on his gun hand. The man unwittingly let go of the mechanic and his gun. The knife was thrown by his sister, but in doing so, she left herself open for attack.

He didn't know how he saw everything but he did. The man she had just toppled stood up behind her and swung a beer bottle against her head. "River!" He screamed just as he saw Andy at the corner of his eye sweep the leg of the man attacking Kaylee while reaching for the fallen gun. The man fell hard destroying the table he landed on. The girl, though, stayed on one knee raising the gun quickly to his sister's direction.

It was an automatic reaction on his part when he kicked the gun on her hand away before she could pull the trigger. "I had a shot!" Andy cried in disbelief. "What is your issue?!"

"You could've shot River." He yelled in reply.

"You're an idiot. I was going for old leader man who was ahead of the guy with little psychic first. And then the guy with your sister." She stood angrily. "But now that they're all gone, I'm sure you have a better plan. Because guess what?" She forcefully spun him to take in the mess that the Koubuli was in now. "They're all gone." She growled heading towards the bar. "I need a drink." She mumbled.

She was right. The ten men that had accompanied the old man were gone. Fanty and Mingo were gone. All that remained were the broken pieces of furniture, diners sprawled on the floor and spilled dumplings.

"Those men." Kaylee finally broke the silence. "They ain't Alliance. And what did they want from Fanty and Mingo?" She frowned.

"I don't know." Simon crossed his arms. "But maybe the Captain does." He prayed.

-- -- - -

Atherton Wing tried to shake the blur from his eyes. The first things he noticed was his head pounding and his hands were bound behind him. It took a second for him to realize that he had just been kidnapped. He remembered it now. Someone hit him in the head just as he entered his temporary office at city hall. Then there was something that felt like a slide before he completely lost consciousness.

That didn't matter now. He saw the blurry images of his surroundings focus. As far as he could figure with the crates and the metal grill flooring, he was inside the cargo bay of a ship. By the looks of the wires sparking and the panels hanging loose, not a very well maintained one. It would be laughable if someone said this bird could fly.

There were muffled noises up above. People were talking. That was a good sign. They had to show their faces to him sometime. Then he'd know who to hunt down and kill for as long as he's alive. Yet he couldn't help but wonder which one of his enemies had planned this one out. How much money was involved?

Just as he decided that he would just hold all of them accountable, a robed figure started down the catwalk above him not noticing that he was right below watching. He smirked recognizing the perfectly coiffed hair and expensive garments that could only belong to a successful companion. He knew this one quite well. This one had him blacklisted despite his generosity. He cleared his throat to catch her attention.

And there it was. The beautifully confused face of Inara Serra looking down on him. "Atherton?"

"Where's that smile made out of sunshine?" He asked dryly before the companion rushed away and disappeared.

Atherton Wing couldn't help but smile. He knew who had him. He bowed his head so he could bite the small star pin on his mock collar. When he saw it flash for a second, his smile turned into a grin.

Kidnapping him was a bad idea. He was going to make them pay.

-- -- - -

"...I mean, not like they know how much the guy gave me right?" He heard a voice reason out to the darkness. "Bonus that this could probably help pay for... whatever it's enough for." Something was placed near his ears that made a clinking noise. There was something very familiar about this way this rant was structured. "Right." There was a pause. "Soooo." Another pause. "I better disappear before they come back and... kill me. See you on the bounce, L.T."

There was only one person who could talk like that. "Andy?" He managed to call out to the shadow that was starting to climb out the window.

It stopped and turned. "L.T?" She answered stepping back inside the room and turned on the lamp nearest to the window.

Johnny Rico groaned when the light hit his eyes. He raised a hand to block out the light instinctively. But that made him notice the medical tag on his wrist. "Andy, what the hell happened?" He demanded weakly. " Where are we?" He tried pulling himself up but pain shot from his ribs and spread.

He saw her take his medical file at the foot of the bed. She shook her head and sighed before taking a seat by his bed after placing the guitar she had on the floor. "Dude, you were shot pretty bad in Canton. We're in Beaumonde now. Different rock." She answered with a small shrug.

Rico groaned. He remembered now. It was that guy-- the magistrate's son who double crossed everyone. "Well, where's the rest of the squad? Where's Diz and Carl?" He demanded.

"C.J..." She pointed to the person on the next bed. Rico glanced at the bed seeing sensors all over his friend's body. "Psychic little sister kind of accidentally attacked his head." She cringed. "And I don't know where the rest of them are." She sighed guiltily.

"What do you mean?" Rico narrowed his eyes at her.

"Well, don't get mad L.T. But..." She started twiddling with her fingers. "See, we got attacked by Reavers. And the Captain and Dizzy got to each other. Diz took over command and left and took the rest of the squad. She was convinced that she could find another way back home that didn't involve being in Serenity. And I kinda stayed put in the ship. So I'm not exactly her favorite person right now and--"

Rico couldn't listen anymore. He was fairly sure listening to her explain things away was giving him a headache. "Andy," he interrupted, "Do you know what you're doing?"

"More or less." The girl nodded.

"Good." He smiled. "Nice outfit, rock star." He commented on the girl's appearance.

She shrugged and ran her hand through her hair. "Yeah, it's suppose to help me blend in." She stood up and adjusted the guitar strap. "Not that it's working. But, hey, I left some money for you guys. Just don't tell them it's from me." She grinned heading for the window again. "Hey, L.T, it's nice to see you up and all but I really need to go."

"Andy. That thing I asked you to do...." He called out just before she stepped out.

She brandished a small red box from her pocket. "A really big maybe." She shrugged before placing one foot out the window.

"Andy." He called out again.

"Yeah?" She looked back curiously.

"Get us out of here." He said.

She nodded and gave him a thumbs up sign. "I'm working on it, boss." She replied. "That's all I ever do" He heard her mutter before disappearing.

Rico sighed. Sgt. Zim once told him that Andy would've been better in strategic planning than in infantry. Right now, he sure hoped the sergeant was right because by the sounds of it, they were pretty much R triple D.

Really. Deep. Doo Doo.

-- -- - -

"I wonder how SICON would take to requisitioning a new game console..." Ashley Anderson took a bite of one of the octopus balls on the stick she bought as she made her way back to the pier. She took the small shiny red rectangular box out of her dress pocket and sighed in lament. She was tired. She hasn't had any sleep in the past day and a half. It didn't show of course. Being a trooper meant very little sleep after all. But shooting bugs and following orders took less brain cells than scrapping parts of Higgins' camera and joining it with her game console to make something that would hopefully get them out of here without going to Ariel while everybody was sleeping.

Hope. There was a lot of hope going around. Hope that she put it together properly. Hope that the insides won't fry when she plugs it in. Hope that the she programmed it correctly. Hope that someone in SICON hears it. Hope that they find little psychic sister. Hope that the Roughnecks aren't too terribly angry at her.

She liked this place, she did. But it was making her terribly homesick. At least on the Valley Forge, everything looked so vanilla she was sure she wasn't home. Beaumonde for her, looked like a crazy version of the East side where dimsum, night markets, hoisin sauce and roasted meats reside. Playing alone in a bar instead of being part of an actual band was making her feel worse. The money was good but she was increasingly starting to feel lonely.

She saw Serenity's lights in the distance and shrugged deciding to just let everything, including the urge to smack the good doctor silly, go. She knew her lack of sleep and stress was messing with her temper. Straight to her room. That's the plan.

But a few steps towards Serenity, a hover passed and its light gave away a man with his back pressed on on the hull of the ship. "Snoop!" She realized eating the rest of the octopus balls in a hurry so that he could catch this guy while he thought he was still hidden in the shadows.

Slowly she took the long way around several boxes and containers while making sure her gun was on hand and ready. She could hear the shouting from inside the ship. "The question is simple Captain. Did you sell us out to Fanty and Mingo?" The doctor demanded.

"No!" The Captain yelled in disbelief. "I ain't got time for this."

"Doctor," She heard Zoe try to talk some sense into the older Tam. "We ain't the kind to sell our own people out. Now, maybe you want to be helpful and tell us the whole story." She prompted.

Andy always thought that lady was the only sane one in the ship. Too bad things were about to get a bit more insane. She raised the gun aimed at the stalking man's head. "Hello. Lovely weather we're having today." She smirked.

The man turned and she took a step back making sure there was distance between them. "Hands where I can see them please. Try anything remotely unexpected and I will shoot." She warned watching the man raise his hands to his head. "Cool." She smiled surprised at how compliant her prisoner was. "Now, who are you?"

"Will you believe me when I say that I have no name?" The man answered. "Michael Jordan."

"Oooookay." The girl nodded slightly confused. "You're not that tall and I'm not sure if you can play ball but sure-- I'll bite." She replied. "So, Michael, here's what we're going to do. You're going to keep your hands up and we're both going in the ship so the Captain can deal with you."

"Deal with who kid?" Captain Reynolds suddenly stepped out of the ship with Zoe right behind him.

Andy motioned for Michael Jordan to step out of the shadows he's been hiding in. "Caught a curious Michael Jordan." She pointed at the man.

Surprisingly, the Captain simply sighed. The trooper was expecting more hysterics than a one word reply. "You." He frowned.

"We meet again Captain Reynolds." Michael Jordan replied with a small smile.

The girl decided to stow her gun away. "Great. Looks like you know each other."

But her gun was only replaced by Zoe raising hers. Andy's eyes grew wide when the Captain raised his as well as she moved to stand slightly behind the older woman.

"I reckon I'd never see the likes of you any time soon, Operative." Mal eyed the man. The contempt he held for this man was clearly visible.

The Operative merely smiled. "Well, Captain. Kidnapping Atherton Wing?" He shook his head in disapproval. "Once again you have found yourself in something bigger." He informed them yet Andy felt his eyes land on her when he said those words.

"You here to get him back?" Zoe raised an eyebrow at the man.

"No no." Michael Jordan replied. "I couldn't be bothered with him."

The trooper folded her arms against her chest. It was in the air again-- the feeling that was eating away inside of her. This familiar sentiment was not something she was comfortable with. Everything was about to get even more complicated.

-- -- - - -


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Sleep.

Sleep is good.

Sleep would be good right about now.

However, whenever Sergeant Zim closed his eyes, he would see them. He would wake up ready to stare Rico down until he does his pile of paper work while dismissing his pathetic whines and ensure the general welfare of each trooper, physical and mental. He makes sure they all play nice, which more often, involved knowing when to tell the younger Brutto and Flores to zip it, dragging Higgins to the training room, checking if Jenkins' head is in one piece and having interesting conversations with Anderson.

He's tried going back to a routine he knew well-- being a drill sergeant-- but failed. He saw those new recruits in uniform and saw Alpha squad. Miriam had said that maybe it was a step too fast, too soon. That he wasn't done mourning his loss yet. But he knew that very moment he was done. In the few sleepless nights after, he knew what he had to do and decided it was the best option possible.

Starting 0800, Sgt. Charles Zim will no longer be associated with SICON.

-- -- -- -

More than anything, Zoe Washburne wanted to nap. She thought she could at least get some shut eye while it wasn't her turn to watch their latest victim. But no. Everytime she moved away, something happens to pulls her back into duty that keeping her temper was starting to prove difficult.

"Shouldn't you be dying somewhere?" Atherton Wing managed to smirk at their latest capture.

The Operative simply gave him the sweetest smile he could paste on his face. "I just had to witness someone's wings get cut." He replied.

"Great." Zoe lifted an eyebrow at her Captain. "They know each other."

"Mal," Jayne sang from the first landing of the staircase above them. "Can I shoot one of them now?" He grinned aiming two different guns, one for each man.

"For once we agree on something." The young doctor eyed the Operative with disdain. " Captain, doesn't hunting us down like animals warrant several bullets? Especially now."

"So much for the Hippocratic oath." The Operative quickly commented.

"Hey, you're the one who tried to kill us." Kaylee defended.

Inara crossed her arms. "They're right, Mal. It's a wonder how he hasn't reported--"

"Bi zui." The Captain finally growled. "All of you." He ordered. "Why can't you be all quiet like? The private ain't making any noise." He pointed at the girl sitting on one of the crates with a small red hand held device on her hand.

But the trooper just shrugged. "Someone wanted or wants to kill you. Shocker." She said flatly without even looking up.

"You're new and you are not surprised people want to end their lives?" The Operative questioned.

"It seems to be a recurring theme." She answered not as indifferently as her previous reply. Zoe didn't miss that the question made the girl lift her gaze away from her handheld and narrow her eyes at the man. She also didn't witness the former government man nod ever so slightly at the suspicious trooper. "Right." She suddenly jumped off the crate. "Captain, I'm going to hang out outside and perimeter..." She trailed off before disappearing into the darkness outside.

"She seems to have picked up on something." Zoe pointed out making sure her gun was still properly aimed at the operative.

The Captain nodded. "Got that right." He agreed poking the man with his gun. "You could've turned around and went your merry way but you decided to honour us with your presence once again. Looks to me like you got something to say." He finally lowered his gun and placed his hands on his hips. "Coz if it's Ath you wanted," He shrugged, "Well, we both know there would be a lot more guns involved."

"Operative." Atherton Wing called out sharply. "I can get you back into the fold. You don't have to live like a wanderer" He offered.

The former agent just shook his head and slowly walked towards the tied man. It was the calm measured steps that gave Zoe chills. "I'm very sure you are capable of that Mr. Wing." He smiled a familiar serene smile. "But as I made very clear before, I am no longer a dog. I have no master." He turned meeting them all in the eye one by one. "The party that Fanty and Mingo represent will not be able to pay for him." He announced.

"You suggesting that I let him go?" Mal asked.

"I am suggesting for you to keep the advance but save yourself the trouble this one brings." He mysteriously answered. "Dump him."

"If you say one more word, Operative, there will be nowhere to hide in this Verse. We will hunt you down." Atherton threatened.

But the man simply chuckled in reply. "Mr. Wing, do you know what your sin is?" He dropped to one knee so that they could see each other eye to eye. "It's pride." He revealed. " You think you are so great that the world should bow down before you and exult your praise. You think you deserve your position because you are some kind of a gift to mankind. But so involved in your song, you don't clearly see what is happening around you." He shook his head once more. "Do you know why we operate without so much as a title or position?" He asked slyly. "Operatives give up their very identity for one reason." He grinned. "It so we cannot be traced." He almost whispered. "Having a name, serial number, rank-- it's a liability. We have to be ghosts walking amongst beings." He shrugged. "And that is what you're not."

"I am member of parliament!" He argued but the operative just stood up.

"And who made you a member of parliament? Hm?" He questioned. "Who introduced you to your current associate?" He went further.

Several gunshots brought Zoe back to reality. "Captain, the kid's out there alone." She reminded Mal who was transfixed by their to hostages.

"Jayne." He called out pointing towards the door.

"Finally. Shooting." Jayne Cobbs hurried down the stairs and quickly left the cargo hold.

But Zoe couldn't help but notice how pale the parliament man had become. The defiant expression on his face still remained but it seemed like something was sinking in. "Do you fully understand now? There must be no loose ends that can lead anyone back to them. Every operation must be as if it never happened." He said above the muffled sounds of gun fire.

"He wouldn't. They wouldn't." Atherton Wing barely managed to say.

"Oh yes they will." The Operative grinned. "The only person rumoured to have walked away from that sly little man-- his only loose end-- is your captor." He spun around staring straight at the Captain once again. "I were forewarned that they will not stop. You've been a thorn on their side for far too long, Mal. River Tam is not the only target now." His gaze shifted slightly. "What is it they say? The enemy of my enemy is my friend?"

"It can't be!" Atherton shouted outraged. "My orders were specific. It was perfect." He mumbled.

The operative sighed. "Once again, your pride has clouded your judgment. It was far from perfect." He argued.

"I've had enough mumbo jumbo from the both of you." Mal suddenly interrupted the two. "My patience ain't what it used to be. It would be best if someone told me what in gorram hell is going on. My fingers are getting mighty itchy."

"Mr. Wing, Captain, is the reason why, I gather, you have not found work lately. He has applied a deadly combination of money and fear. You have become a pariah of sorts. No one will touch you." He replied.

"Fanty and Mingo did." The Captain countered.

"And what did the bright doctor tell you about what happened to Fanty and Mingo?" The Operative replied confidently. "You will not find Fanty _or_ Mingo out and about any time soon. It doesn't matter if they've already taken River Tam. He will find the twins simply because of his fixation to his reputation."

Zoe groaned. "A man with a reputation..." She said grimly realizing there is only one person in the world that held his name like a religion. "Niska."

The Operative nodded. "Very good." He applauded dryly.

-- -- - - -

"We don't have to do this." Dizzy Flores grumbled as she made her way through the alleys towards the port. She saw the look Gossard shot her. She hated it when people threw that at her. It was that face that said-- "Really? You sure about that?" Of course she was sure. The fact that they haven't compromised their integrity since they seperated from Serenity only proved that she was correct. Only a few hours after they reported the kidnapping to the proper authorities, they find money beside a conscious Rico.

Things were looking up.

"C'mon Diz." Gossard argued. "You know Doc's right. The money couldn't have come from Mr. Wing. If they found him, he would've given it in person since we did report the event."

"Which means, that Wing guy is still lost." Brutto agreed. "And we're still screwed." He added.

Dizzy Flores groaned shoving her hands into her pockets. "But it doesn't mean Andy's right about staying." She complained.

"Finding a way back home is not a competition." The mechanic said. "Besides, Rico seems to think it's a good idea to mend relations with the Captain. That doesn't mean that we go in pleading to take us back."

There was a stifled chuckle from the younger trooper. "Yeah, it just means Flores has to apologize and we get to witness." He snickered.

The red head growled. "Still don't understand what I've got to apologize about." She mumbled while trailing behind the two. Apologizing was accepting defeat. It was like admitting she was wrong. She could make a run for it, but she wouldn't know where to go. She decided she could just say the words and go through the motions. She didn't have to mean it.

There was one turn left. But at the sound of gunshots, they instinctively ducked and hid behind a metal container. They could see it clearly. A dozen men were making their way through the docks towards Serenity while being careful by hiding behind smaller crates. Dizzy placed a finger on her lips and continued watching. Three shots were fired from an unknown location and three men fell to the ground. Her eyes grew wide as she met the other Roughnecks' gazes.

There was no doubt in their mind who was doing the shooting. Hidden somewhere in the darkness was a trooper just waiting for each one of those left to give her an opening for a sure hit. Dizzy knew the men were outmatched. It didn't even need to be Andy. Any one of them, except for Higgins, would be more than they could handle. She could see them shoot aimlessly at the direction where they guessed the last shot was fired but she knew that her squadmate wouldn't be there. It was basic strategy. Take a shot and find a new position. These men weren't acting. They were just reacting.

Two more measured shots and two more men fell. There were just seven left. But then Dizzy saw a complication. Jayne Cobb just made his presence known. "Lovely evening ain't it." He greeted before shooting someone in the chest. In an instant, he attracted the ire of everyone else still standing. He might have quickly found cover but the damage was done.

"Don't you kinda think you folks are disturbing my dinner?" Jayne took several attempts at two men behind the same crate. "Kinda rude ain't you?" He added when one finally fell just before his companion was hit by another bullet. Three more fell randomly making Jayne redouble his efforts to get the last two.

The two men charged at the same time. There were two simultaneous gun shots and just as quickly as they came out from hiding, they were on the ground grasping in pain. Dizzy watched as Jayne turned around trying to find the hidden girl. He went on full circle before he growled in annoyance disturbing the silence that had taken over. "Gorram it little girl, show yourself. There ain't nobody left." He demanded.

"You don't know that." A small voice vaguely drifted through the open space. "Michael Jordan said 'people'. People want you dead. That's plural. More than one person wants you dead." She argued

"Well there's Wing in there and whoever sent these folk." He replied dryly. "I don't count so good but I reckon that's more than one."

Dizzy frowned. "Did he just say Wing?" She whispered to the mechanic beside her. "They're the ones that kidnapped Atherton Wing." She glared at the two with her.

"Fine, I'm over here." A figure stood up from above some stacked crates over at the man's left side. Dizzy could barely believe who she saw. Without the SICON jacket and the military issued boots, Andy could have passed as a local in that pale blue cheongsam and short tights. She watched as the girl stowed her weapon behind her using her belt as a holster before making her way down.

"You know, I thought it was the other one that was mighty dangerous. Flores was it?" He grunted at the thought. "But you ain't half bad." He said nudging the girl to Serenity's direction.

Dizzy saw Andy shrug. "We're in infantry. We train." She replied. "Besides, I'm alright with a gun on hand. But Dizzy is the one dangerous all around." She admitted honestly keeping pace with the larger man. "So. You think that Wing- man knows I'm not from around here?" She asked, concerned.

Jayne chuckled. "Ain't nobody dumb enough to tell him and he obviously ain't that smart."

"Shiny." Andy nodded.

Dizzy tugged on Gossard's jacket just as they were out of sight. "We're going in there." She stood up and dusted her pants. "We're going in there to get Mr. Wing out." She repeated when she saw the uncertain exchange between Brutto and the mechanic.

"You out of your mind?" Brutto gritted his teeth trying to stay silent. "Anderson's in there."

Gossard shook his head shocked that the red head would even suggest the action. "No. Diz, Brutto's right. Besides, Rico sent you here to apologize." He waved a hand across the air.

"Did that look like the same Andy to you?" She argued facing the two troopers. "We can take them by surprise! Who's with me?" She insisted but the deadpanned look of her companions told her that they're not up for the challenge. "Well, I'm not walking in there. Wing might think we helped them out." She stated defiantly. "Bunch of chickens." She grumbled turning her back to head back to the hospital.

-- -- - - -

Captain Reynolds massaged his temples with his fingers. He took a deep breath still eying the former government lackey verbally torture the parliamentarian. Normally, he would approve of this kind of manipulation-- until it gave him a headache. And there was a big one brewing in his head. Everything wrong that could have happened just happened.

"All clear outside, Jayne?" He heard Zoe call out at the two figures entering the ship.

"For now it is." The bigger man answered before a confused expression took over his face as he watched the Operative make Atherton Wing even paler. His lips twitched bemused when Wing growled. "Looks like we didn't miss anything." He gave the girl behind him a pat on the shoulder.

"Jayne, Anderson." Mal faced the two and crossed his arms. "What did they look like?" He asked. Silence took over the ship waiting for their reply.

"Uh.. like bad folk with guns?" Jayne tried.

"Like goons." The trooper offered.

Zoe stepped forward shaking her head lightly. "Anything specific? How they look? How they talk..." She prompted.

"Gorram it Zoe, they looked like people..." He shrugged eying the smaller girl for help.

"Kind of Slavic- ish?" The trooper tried again.

"Well, yeah, you know. Slaves to their master." Jayne added.

Mal groaned. "That ain't what Slavic mean, Jayne. The Slavs are a kind of people." He grimaced staring at Atherton Wing. They were the kind of folk that Adelei Niska prefered due to common ancestry. This little fact just confirmed to him that the Operative was telling the truth. It was unfortunate for them. Yet, he knew the government man had it worse. "You picked a fine choice in partners, Ath." He stated humourlessly.

"They were coming for me." Atherton spat frustrated by his binds.

"Oh yeah, they were coming for you alright." Mal took several steps forward before aiming the nozzle of his gun to the parliament man. "Just like I'm coming for you now." He frowned. "Adelei Niska ain't stupid. He probably knows more about you that you know about you. Probably sent those men to kill you after they finish us off. Now, where's that bug?" He said.

"There's no bug." Atherton Wing adamantly rejected the notion.

"Please." The Operative leaned in to take something from the man's collar and tossing it to Mal. "You were just a pawn. Accept the truth, Mr. Wing. It will set you free." He suggested

Mal stepped on the transmitter shattering it into pieces. "Or I'll set you free." He offered. "You know, whether or not old Niska wanted to save you or wanted you dead, or whoever he worked for wanted you dead, the fact is Niska's men have been incapacitated. Which means, you've failed." He smiled at the trembling man. "One of his guys goes through my engine-- I get torture and my ear cut off. I wonder what he'd do to you now that-- how many Jayne?" He asked.

"Reckon about twelve?" Came the answer.

"Now that twelve of his finest are gone just because of little you." He continued taunting. "Now he's got a great many types of swords, that you might like on occasion, but I'm quite sure you wouldn't like what he's going to use it on you for. Shooting you will be-- I'm trying to find the right words..." The Captain snapped his fingers.

"An act of mercy, sir?" Zoe supplied.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." Mal grinned. "So I reckon everybody wants you dead now." He stated. "But I'm willing to cut you a deal."

"And what's that?" Atherton asked haughtily.

"Obviously, you know where they're keeping my crew. River Tam." He paused and stole a glance at his resident physician's surprised yet thankful face. "Lead us to where they're keeping my little albatross with no tricks, and maybe I'll let you go."

Maybe.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Everything was white.

And then there was a slow strum of a string instrument. A guitar? A mandolin? It didn't matter. A beat came through. And everywhere he looked there were cartoon like trees with blue girls who have different coloured eyes singing in between them. An octopus. A man talking gibberish. Signs in Chinese. It was utter nonsense.

_Fruity oaty bar makes a man out of a mouse.  
Fruity oaty bar makes you bust out of your blouse._

_Eat 'em all the time.  
Let 'em blow your mind._

_Fruity oaty bar  
Fruity oaty bar! _

And much to Carl's dismay, it played again.

"Don't you see it, Jenkins?" Someone beside him suddenly asked him. Carl Jenkins thought it was odd that he didn't notice anyone sneak up. He could normally hear their minds even before he saw them. But when he saw who it was beside him, he knew the reason why he sensed nothing.

He was dead.

"Lieutenant Razak?" He faced the man in uniform that he hasn't seen for a very long time.

"Don't you see it, son?" He asked again looking at him with a fatherly gaze he realized he missed.

"It's ... an ad for something called a fruity oaty bar?" He shrugged. "Sir, it's not even my memory." He argued.

"But it's right there!" Another person said on his left side. "It's staring you in the face." Carl turned to face the new person but didn't recognize the strawberry blonde man wearing a blue Hawaiian shirt standing there.

"Who are you?" Carl asked feeling slightly defiled and annoyed at the same time.

"Wash. But you don't know me." The man shrugged. "I'm not from your memory."

"You don't know me either." A priest suddenly appeared beside the man called Wash. "But I believe I can see what they're talking about."

Lt. Razak patted him on the shoulder. "Watch it again, Jenkins. It's right there. It's where it all started. Right at the beginning. Concentrate." He nodded. "They need you."

_Fruity oaty bar makes a man out of a mouse.  
Fruity oaty bar makes you bust out of your blouse._

_Eat 'em all the time.  
Let 'em blow your mind._

_Fruity oaty bar  
Fruity oaty bar! _

Carl Jenkins sighed and looked over his shoulder. "Sir, this is going to make for a terrible last song syndrome." He squirmed when the song started to repeat itself.

"Don't you know it." The man named Wash agreed.

"What's the matter, ape?" Lt. Razak smirked that familiar line. "You want to live forever?"

-- -- - -

Inara Serra could see it in his eyes. The Operative just left. "It's not my fight. The truth just had to be known." He said right before he stepped off the firefly. And when Mal turned, she could see it. Just like before, fierce determination crossed his features as he met each one of them in the eye and set his jaw.

"After Miranda, I didn't think they'd come after her again but it seems they have." He started. "And they have her. We might not have seen this coming but we ain't down for the count yet. Shepherd Book once said that they hit from the side. They snuggle up to you and smile." He glared at the quiet parliament man briefly. "Not this time. It's our turn to get them from the side. To take them by surprise. " He crossed his arms. "I don't know why they want her but this I know for certain-- We're taking River back." He gave the doctor a small smile. "And I aim to misbehave."

"Do you have a plan?" Inara asked breaking the silence.

There was a small nod. "We're taking Ath in to get treated. With his card clearance, we can sneak in, find River and get out." He paused. "Chances are slim. I know that." He admitted. "But we take care of our own. That's our way."

"Shepherd always said a way is better than a plan." Kaylee smiled.

"It's called belief." Zoe faced the Captain. "What are your orders?"

Inara watched the Captain drop to one knee to make sure Atherton Wing understood the grave consequences of his actions. " Doc, give him a cocktail. I don't want him to be able to speak or move. But I want him awake enough to know when Niska's coming for him." He gave the man a lopsided smile before standing up. "Kaylee, I need you to prep the rover. You're driving."

"Sure thing Captain." The mechanic nodded.

"Zoe, Jayne, you're coming through the front door with me. And Jayne," He turned to face the larger man. "We're going to a civilian building. Don't want folk getting hurt that don't need to. No grenades."

"That's what you said the last time." Jayne frowned.

"You up to this?" Mal headed towards the young soldier.

The girl grinned. "I'm going to prep my pack. Maybe the machete would come in handy..." She trailed off before skipping off to where the troopers' ammunition were hidden.

"And what about me?" Inara asked walking slowly towards the Captain who was heading off to check on his own weapons.

"You're staying here." He replied matter- of- factly.

Inara simply stared at the man infront of her loading his gun with bullets. "What happened to 'We take care of our own. That's our way' ?" She quoted feeling her temper rising.

Mal didn't even flinch. "It is our way." He agreed. "But, this ain't your area of expertise." He continued laying one gun down to check on another. "You ain't a fighter Inara. Never was." He said bluntly while moving towards the rover Kaylee just drove forward.

"Simon and Kaylee are?" She trailed behind him.

"It's a federal hospital. Doctor might know his way around and he is her brother. Kaylee's just bringing us over. We ain't dragging his carcass all the way there." He pointed at her former customer being injected with some sort of drug. "In fact, might be a good idea for you and Kaylee to take the shuttle for a joy ride." He suggested.

"Shiny!" Kaylee beamed at her. "We could have one of those girl's night out things."

Inara couldn't contain her her baffled expression as the Captain ordered Jayne and Zoe to strap their guest of honour on their ride. She refused to think that all she would do that night was to wait for them to come back. She wanted to help. "But Mal..." She started to protest.

"Inara." Zoe interrupted placing a hand the companion's shoulder. "He won't endanger anyone else if he could help it. Captain can't worry about you and River at the same time." She tried to explain. "So keep yourself out of trouble and show Kaylee some good time." She nodded with a smile.

"You'll be missing out." Kaylee told Zoe as she passed to seat on the driver's seat.

"We take care of our own." Zoe gave her one final pat before boarding the rover.

Inara watched as the rover sped away into the night. She frowned at the unaccustomed silence that took over the firefly. Trying to comfort herself, she wrapped her arms around herself right after pressing the button to close the cargo bay. "No wonder Wash had toys." She mumbled as she made her way up to her shuttle.

-- -- - - -

"...And she just sniped them. Like they were bugs." Dizzy threw her hands up in the air.

Robert Higgins sat uncomfortably couldn't believe what he was hearing. If what Dizzy, Goss and Brutto were telling Rico were true, then in the short time that they've been here, Andy had already adapted to her environment. He knew it he wasn't the only one worried. They weren't saying anything but he could see by the way they moved that Goss, Brutto and Doc were not happy about current developments. Gossard was especially tentative after he revealed Andy's secret agenda for staying. But the rest were just as uncomfortable as he was.

"Dizzy. Calm down." Rico sighed. "You know, Andy may just have her reasons. She's not exactly impulsive." He tried pointing out.

"I'm just warning you. She's on their side now." The red head grunted.

The reporter shook his head in disbelief. "Diz, she has to go along with them until they reach Ariel. You were there. That was her deal. She's part of the crew until then." He offered another more plausible explanation.

"I don't know. Flores might be right." Carmen Ibanez argued tentatively. "When we first got in the ship, she didn't even blink. She just jumped right in and got comfortable. Even if she knew what she knew, anybody would be at least uneasy."

Higgins folded his arms and looked at the floor. "Still, she's one of us..." She started but was stopped by Rico holding his hand up while looking at the window curiously. A leg shot out from the thin curtains . There was some muffled laughter before two people emerged from the window following each other.

"Haven't you ever climbed a tree before?" A familiar amused voice whispered just as the curtains were pushed away.

"I'm a doctor. Not a monkey." A spiteful doctor said while brushing his still immaculate clothes of imaginary dirt.

"You guizu. Such a sheltered bunch of..." Higgins watched the girl give the room a small wave and a guilty smile. "Roughnecks." She finished while adjusting the straps of the pack she had.

"Speak of the devil..." Rico groaned. "Andy what are you doing climbing up a window in the middle of the night?" He asked with a tinge of disapproval.

"The front door isn't really available right now. I really thought nobody would be here and you'd be asleep." She explained.

"We need to go." Dr. Tam tugged the girl by the sleeve heading for the door.

Andy took her arm back. "Wait. They can help." She said eying the watching Roughnecks. "So, River's been kidnapped. Accordingly, she's being held in the secret basement. I have spare ammo on me if anybody wants to help." She looked at them expectantly.

Higgins has never seen a clear expression of doubt cross the any of the troopers' faces until now. He knew she saw it too because she let out a dejected sigh. "Okie dokes, Tam. Let's." She pointed to the door as she turned.

"Andy. It's not that we don't want to help." Doc stepped forward blocking the girl's path.

"They just don't know why we should." The reporter finished crossing his arms unable to meet her gaze.

"My little sister could be in some torture chamber as we speak." Dr. Tam spoke up.

"Because she's a victim." She replied knowing the doctor's words meant close to nothing in this crowd.

"And Atherton Wing isn't?" Dizzy challenged.

"Atherton Wing?" Andy repeated confused.

"Yeah. He was going to help us get back home until you kidnapped him." The red head added jabbing an accusing finger at the other girl's direction. "And after what happened in the pier?" Dizzy rolled her eyes. "That's right. We were there." She affirmed when the girl shot her a baffled look.

Andy raised both of her hands up in her defense. "First of all, I didn't know about Atherton Wing until after the Captain got him. I didn't know about the job. I wasn't there." She said. "Secondly, those guys in the pier were there to kill us. It was self defense and I didn't kill them. They were just injured pretty badly." She defended herself. "Thirdly, you guys can't trust that guy. From what I've seen, he's partnered up with this ruthless old man to find and kill them off." She pointed to the doctor's direction. "And no matter how twisted it's become, their both associated for people who experiment with the minds of little girls without another thought. Atherton Wing's a pretty scummy user type of a guy." She reasoned quickly.

"But a guy who was willing to get us out of here." Carmen Ibanez interrupted.

Bobby Higgins watched as the younger girl shot a helpless look at her commanding officer just to be let down with his silence. That's when she just shook her head and took a small red rectangular box from her dress pocket and tossed it so it would land softly on Rico's bed. "All you need to do is install." She said. The change in her demeanor was instant. In the span of a second, she became far more guarded and much much colder. Almost older than she really was. The reporter was surprised when she turned to him. "Higz, I needed to mine your camera for that. I'm sorry." She apologized with a small smile. "You're going to need a gun if you want to survive around here." She reached into her pack to pull out a handgun and handed it to Brutto. "Don't wander about the hospital tonight. Atherton Wing is being admitted to the hospital as we speak." She warned. "Tell C.J. And Zim Hi for me." She motioned for the doctor that they should get moving.

"Private Ashley Anderson--" Rico started to call after her.

But the trooper just shook her head and interrupted the SICON officer. "I'm out Rico." She mocked a salute while walking backwards towards the door. "Don't worry, I'll find my own way home. Live long and prosper." She waved an arcane sign at them before disappearing behind a sliding door.

"That went well." Higgins couldn't help but say sarcastically.

-- -- -

With all the factories residing in Beaumonde, it isn't surprising that the emergency ward would constantly be busy. Accidents do happen. The ward was such that there was a line just to be brought in to the triage unit where the nurses were taking measurements, interviews and placing wristbands on people to admit them before they could go any further. There weren't a lot of empty beds in the critical ward and not a lot of empty chairs in the primary care sector either. To their credit, the doctors and nurses of the hospital kept busy buzzing around from one section to the next almost like an efficient beehive dedicated to patient care.

But when a distraught woman trailed by two men carrying an incapacitated man busted through the double doors of the emergency ward, everyone, including the patients, took notice. "Someone help this man." The tall lady called out. "Please." She added just as a doctor headed her way. "We found him at an alley not far from here. Tried to ask him who he was but he ain't talking." She informed the doctor.

The doctor lifted the man's chin and gasped in surprise. "This is Sir Atherton Wing!" He exclaimed snapping his fingers. He quickly glanced behind him and signaled several attendants over. "Report says he's been missing. God! What have they done to him?" He asked just as a bunk was hovered over.

"We just found him like this." One of the men said innocently as he gruffly placed the man on the bed.

"Ain't he some fancy parliament man?" The other man said as he adjusted his clothes. "You think he'd have guards... or something of the like." He said as more doctors and nurses poured over the health of the government official.

"Well, he can't be guarded twenty four--" The doctor glanced back to thank the three that brought the important man in but found that they were no where to be seen. "--Seven." He finished wondering where they went in such a short notice. He quickly shoved the thought aside. There was work to be done.

-- -- -

It never ceased to amaze Jayne Cobb that whenever they ended up in a hospital, the good doctor Tam would find a doctor's coat, wear it, and just like that, the people around him would think that he was one of them. He guessed it didn't hurt that he had a medical kit with him and there was a girl with a backpack trailing him looking around wide eyed like she was about to get shots. He saw Dr Tam nod a greeting with a passing doctor while the girl gave the passing man an impish smile and rolled his eyes. If only that man knew what was in that backpack of hers...

"About gorram time." He shot at the the two when they reached them.

"Had to cut ties from all the lies that I've been living in." The girl answered quickly.

He watched Mal swipe the politician's card on the little tab beside the door. The door slid open revealing an elevator of sorts. "Anything to be concerned about?" He asked when they all entered the small lift.

"Nope." She replied kneeling down to take their weapons out of her pack.

The weapons went around to their respective owners. Jayne grinned when he held his. A tingle went up and down his spine to his fingertips, eager to simply get the crazy little psychic girl and get out of the creepy hospital. He smirked amused when Dr Tam simply watched them all arm themselves when he had none. Lastly-- the earpieces.

"Testing." Jayne said out of habit.

"Jayne?" Zoe gave him a small lopsided smile.

"Okay folks this is it." The Captain said as the lift began to slow. "Doc, Anderson, you're going with Jayne to the left. Zoe and I are heading right. We find River and get the gorram hell out of here. If anyone has questions, qualms, doubts or any of the like-- apologies but it's a bit too late for that." He smirked. "Anderson?" He prompted.

Jayne looked up at the ceiling slightly irked. Probably for the hundredth time since they've taken the troopers in, he wished he could handle their shiny weapons. Maybe after this, he'd ask the private for some lessons. Right now, he had to concentrate and breathe in deeply.

"Bombs away." She warned before letting go of a small silver canister.

-- - -

_Fruity oaty bar makes a man out of a mouse.  
Fruity oaty bar makes you bust out of your blouse._

_Eat 'em all the time.  
Let 'em blow your mind._

_Fruity oaty bar  
Fruity oaty bar! _

Carl Jenkins let go of the air he's been holding in and ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know how many times he's watched this ad but he did know several things about it. First, it was weird. He didn't know how the company gets buyers for this product with that kind of a creepy advertisement. Second, It didn't make much sense. What in the world was an octopus doing in the ad when they were marketing a fruit oat bar? And third, people should not watch this. The bright flashing colours could give anybody a seizure.

The special ops officer narrowed his eyes when the raking sound of a mandolin filled where ever he was in. He braced himself for another colour filled ad and just like that, he saw it in between the trees. It was right where they told him it was-- at the start. Suddenly, the whole ad took on a new shape. He could see the layers separate from each other. Each frame had a different message. Everything was so obvious yet hidden.

Everything had a prominent layer of blue.

Everything had a big blue sun.

-----

translation

guizu -- aristocrat, nobleman


	13. Hoist the Colours I

Chapter 13a: Hoist the Colours I

Jeffrey Gossard sighed shoving his hands down his pockets and pushing himself off the wall he's been leaning against. "This is..." He trailed on taking a deep breath. "I'm going after her. This isn't right." He decided, shrugging at his injured commanding officer.

"I'm... I'm..." Higgins stood up from his chair a little more resolute than they've ever seen him before. "I'm going with you."

Doc just shrugged. "Someone has to look after Higgins." He smirked following the two.

"You don't even know where she disappeared to," Dizzy pointed out.

"She just left." Brutto tossed the gun towards Doc's direction. "She ain't that fast. Couldn't have gone very far."

"She also said not to roam around the hospital tonight." Carmen argued. "They were armed. You wouldn't want to be caught by the crossfire. What do you think Rico?" The pilot faced the frowning lieutenant.

"I don't know." Johnny Rico admitted letting the small red toy spin on the palm of his hand. "We're way out of our league here." He sighed raising his eyes towards the three that were ready to leave. "I can't stop you from leaving. But I think it's smarter to figure things out first or you're going to go in blind." He chuckled. "I can't believe I miss Intel." He muttered to himself.

"Help." A small moan came from Carl's bed stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Carl?" Dizzy hurried over to his bedside. "Carl are you awake?" She leaned forward watching the trooper furrow his brow in unease.

Then the trooper's lips parted and his unfocused eyes flew open...

-- -- -- - -

It was all so simple now. Carl knew which memories were his and which memories were definitely hers. The problem was the memories in between. Fragments of thoughts that have been, at least in his part, unknowingly filtered through.

It was disturbing in a way to see them up close. He had been trained to just keep them in the far reaches of his mind. To treat them as white noise. But now he realized that everything that was said in Serenity about River Tam was true. Even untrained, the potential psychics on Earth would eventually, yet very crudely, learn some sort of control. Random thoughts of scientists revealed that what Dr. Tam said had been true-- she had no amygdala therefore she would have a very slim chance of learning that precise control.

He saw, through different eyes, what they've done to her. The madness they had encouraged through their experiments was disturbing at the very least. She used to be just a talented young girl finding school painfully slow. A girl looking to be challenged. Carl Jenkins pushed another random memory of a scientist aside even more perturbed at what they contained.

The special ops officer shook his head. River tam had so much information in her head she probably didn't know about. There were secrets lodged in her head that weren't helping her disposition. What happened in this place called Miranda was bad. But there were controversies and events and decisions that could have worse repercussions if the population ever knew about it. And he saw them all. He was witnessing the very truth of this world they had stumbled upon.

"Help." An echoing moan stopped his sorting. He was sure it wasn't from any memory.

And then he saw a blurry scene take over. The was a doctor with an extremely long silver needle.

Carl distinctly watched the man smile before he jabbed the needle right to his forehead.

-- --- - - -

Two screams erupted from the hospital but only one was heard.

Doctors scrambled in the room to hold the patient down as his friends watched helplessly. The sight of a syringe fueled the vain struggle. He was only one man against the hold of several nurses and doctors. After several minutes of struggling, the sedatives were finally seem to be working. Slowly, the doctors released him from their grasp and after a quick check on his board, left the room.

"Rico," A hoarse whisper cut through the silence as he stared at the white ceiling above him.

"Carl?" Johnny Rico replied almost like ti was a question. "You alright buddy?" He asked filled with concern.

"Johnny," Carl Jenkins rolled his head to the side just to see the troopers eying him. "There's something you need to know about this world." He struggled to contain the mounting sense of urgency running through his mind.

-- - - - -

_The king and his men _

_stole the queen from her bed _

_and bound her in her bones. _

Bright lights.

It was just like before.

She grimaced at the bright lights that were staring her down. She knew she was in a medical facility of some sort. Her wrists and ankles were bound to the reclining sensors stuck on her head plugged data to a nearby computer. She looked around struggling to get free.

Because they knew she was awake. There were doctors around her going about their business like this was a natural occurrence. They flexed their newly rubber covered hands, adjusted their masks, straightened their coats-- But they weren't just doctors. Real doctors didn't come to work armed with a gun concealed in their clothes. Real doctors didn't mentally take note where the button to the alarm was everytime they looked at her. Real doctors wouldn't put needles into her making her feel like a imprisoned porcupine.

She couldn't hear anything but she could swear a ghost was in the room telling her to calm down. "I'm coming, mei mei. Hold on, I'm coming."

River stifled a smile as the doctors injected her with a green fluid.

He was coming. Just like before.

_The seas be ours _

_and by the powers _

_where we will we'll roam. _

"Roger that." A man sighed over his radio. He signaled three of his men to follow him and they did. But he really didn't believe what the guys at Security were telling him. Five people are using the elevators down to their level without any authorization except Atherton Wing's card. That's plausible. But the part where there was a puff of smoke and then the sensors couldn't find the five, well, that was just unbelievable. After all, they were just using cameras for visual confirmation. The elevator was state of the art with infra reds and what not installed inside.

If there were five people in that carriage, their systems should still detect five people even if they are clouded in smoke.

He lifted his rifle and aimed it at the elevator doors knowing that the other three would quickly follow. There was a small sound signaling that the doors were about to open. Smoke slowly spread into the corridor. And they went in the carriage.

"Maybe there's a glitch in the system." He grumbled when they found it empty.

Suddenly, something was dropped into the middle of the carriage. He quickly turned around just to see a canister spewing out smoke. He saw his buddy across from him drop. Soon, even his world became a bit hazy. There was a shadow above him. A panel was being pulled off from the ceiling and five figures fell landing deftly on the ground.

As much as he wanted to do something about it, all he could do was sleep.

_Yo, ho, all hands. _

_Hoist the colours high. _

"She's in here!" Simon Tam told his other two companions securing the hall adjacent to them. He peered into the small window on the door and saw his sister squirming on her seat. The doctor nearest to her threw a syringe on the trashcan before taking his gloves off. "It's River. She's in there." He said letting Jayne take a look through.

He saw the wordless exchange between the two gun hands. Jayne merely tilted his head ot one side quickly and the girl nodded heading to the right side of the door while Jayne went to the left. They looked like they've been doing this for years. Simon suddenly felt out of place.

"Doc." Jayne pointed at the space behind the girl.

"I'm a doctor not a soldier." He shot back heading to his place. He watched Jayne plant a small explosive on various parts of the door. Then he took a detonator out of his pocket and another silent conversation between the two took place. The girl nodded. Jayne nodded.

And without so much of a warning to him, Jayne pressed the button. Small explosions sent off sparks and streams of smoke. The metal door become red at the edges. "You're stayin here til it's clear, dong ma?" Jayne sneered at him.

Dr. Tam watched Jayne stand infront of the door just to forcefully kick it down. The instant the door fell, he saw Andy charge in first, followed by Jayne. He pasted himself on the wall listening as several shots were fired. Then there was silence.

"Get the little crazy out of the chair." Jayne's head popped out of the room for a second.

Simon came in carefully avoiding the bodies on the ground. There were eight doctors in all and by the looks of it, all of them were armed. He resisted his better nature to help them. Instead, he went straight for his sister. He took the sensors out from her head, arms and legs before very gently taking the needles out. Jayne was already cutting her binds loose while Anderson was collecting the smaller guns. "River? River can you hear me?" He asked trying to get her to open her eyes.

"Simon." River collapsed against him. "I knew you would come."

"Shiny." Jayne smirked. "But you reckon you can walk?" he asked.

"Give her a moment. They probably gave her a sedative." Simon glared at the larger man.

Suddenly, there was a gunshot. Simon turned in time to Andy going after a doctor who was about to hit a button near the door. She got there to him a second too late. The doctor had grazed the button sending an alert all throughout the basement before the girl could neutralize him with a backhanded hit. The doctor slumped to the ground unconscious. He watched the trooper zip up her jacket before turning around to face them.

"I thought you shot that guy." She frowned.

"I did." Jayne merely shrugged. "Hey Cap, we got River. We're heading back." The man announced to his earpiece. "Do I have to carry you?" He asked the psychic. Dr. Tam's eyes grew wide in disapproval. "Not like you can." Jayne defended himself.

"River can you walk?" He asked. His little sister nodded weakly getting to her feet. "Good, because we have to go."

_Heave ho, thieves and beggars, _

_never shall we die. _

"She's here. River Tam is here." Carl Jenkins panicked as the drugs started to take hold. He knew there wasn't much time until the drugs did their work and puts him to sleep. "They're going to start again. Need to get her out." He tried to lift himself off the bed but found that his limbs wouldn't comply.

"Carl." He faced the voice that had so carefully called his name. "You have to chill out." Johnny Rico said. "Relax and tell us, in English, what you're talking about."

The psychic narrowed his eyes for a second and then gave up. Times like these, he shouldn't care that they were talking to him like a two year old. What's important is to make them understand. "They made her. They experiment on people. Children mostly. Talented kids." Jenkins tried to expain quickly. "A number of them died on the table. A lot of them went crazy or seemed to go crazy. River." He shook his head. "She wanted out early on but they wouldn't let her. So she eventually just wrote to her brother in code. She knew-- she knew he would come. And he did." There was a ghost of a smile on his face. "Dropped everything that was going for him and just did everything he could to get her out." The smile disappeared on his face when he turned to face the Roughnecks once more. "Johnny, they were military experiments. They were going to be made to the perfect weapon. Psychics with the skills of a perfect assassin. If it ever succeeds, one of them could take whole squads of us out. How do you defend or attack someone who already knows what you're about to do?" His tried to move but couldn't. He sighed even more frustrated now than ever. "They were made to deal with two things they considered a threat. The Reavers and SICON." He revealed.

Max Brutto could literally feel his blood turn cold. "SICON?!" He exclaimed. "Reavers, I get. But they want to destroy SICON?"

"No. The Alliance wants out of SICON." Carl corrected quickly. "Government thinks that they don't need us. They don't like that they're paying SICON... tribute. People in higher positions of Parliament, the same ones that observed the experiments, they know about SICON and the deal and the bugs. So, they were going to build better ships to get to Earth and arm the ships with them. They were going to start a civil war in secret. We wouldn't stand a chance." He predicted.

"But Atherton Wing was willing to help us get--" Carmen Ibanez started.

"If he knows who we are then don't trust the guy." The psychic warned cutting off the pilot. "This place is corrupt. The head Alliance guys, they're just puppets to this--- this corporation. " He cringed remembering the fruity oaty bar commercial. "This Blue... Blue Sun Corporation." He stammered. "Blue Sun has their fingers in everything. Nobody gets ahead without their say so. Pulls all the strings and they're really careful to make sure nothing bad gets stuck to them. Nothing taints their logo." He scowled. "And that's what River Tam is. A spot on their record. Their best experiment escaped. They've been trying to find her. They even used subliminal messages on their ads just to find her. They almost succeeded. They need her to replicate her." He tried fighting off the drugs that were telling him to sleep. "Captain... Captain Reynolds got in the way so now they want him dead too." He pointed out eying the silent troopers one by one. "It was in her head. Everything was in her head and she didn't know it. That's why she freaked. The colour blue. Blue Sun. It's not her fault." He explained. "It's not her fault. She didn't know. She wasn't aware." He went on.

"Jenkins, you have to relax--" Doc suggested.

A new wave of panic rushed over him. But it wasn't his feeling. It was someone else's-- River Tam's. He could feel her mounting concern. She was in trouble. They were all in trouble. Jenkins shot his silent friends a look of disbelief. "Johnny, you can't let them have her--" He stifled a groan when saw a faces flash before his eyes but these people weren't in the room. There was the concerned brother, Simon Tam wiping something on his head-- not his head. River's head. Then there was the larger man, Jayne Cobb guarding the door. Then there was a girl tugging her jacket's zipper up and checking her hand gun. "Andy." He murmured realizing there was indeed, one Roughneck missing in the room. "Seriously, why is everybody else still here?" He eyed his best friend in shock. "Don't you understand anything I've said? If the Blue Sun Corporation-- the Alliance figures out how to make an army of River Tams, there's going to be a bloody war." He raised his voice as much as he could. "Get. Her. Out." He growled.

"Andy said there's a secret basement." Johnny Rico replied calmly. "You know how to get there?"

"Elevator needs a key." Carl shook his head trying to ward off the medicine. "But--" He steeled himself as he tapped into the minds of the people in the hospital. "Air shaft." He finally gasped. "Air shaft in the northwest quadrant goes down." He said.

"Gossard, Doc, Higgins..." Rico paused biting his lower lip. "Diz." He nodded. "You're the only ones with four limbs. Go help them out. " He said. "That's an order, private." He quickly added before the red head could complain. "And Goss," He motioned for the mechanic to come near and handed him the red box. "If you see a computer, plug it in. Maybe it'll get us out of here."

-- -- - - -

Note:: For some reason, I thought one posting for this rescue part would be enough-- until i got to close to 10000 words with bits more to write. Then i decided that it might be smarter to post it in parts in case it got much much longer... SO. I apologize. This part was done days and days ago.

oh! also, i just got a challenge to do roughnecks/ t:tscc (sarah conner chronicles ). so i've been staring at my ceiling a lot trying to see if there's anyway to reconcile the two timelines... yup. that's where my head is at. :)


	14. Hoist the Colours II

Hoist the Colours II

_Some have died _

_and some are alive _

_others sail on the sea _

Something was spreading into his arms and to his fingertips. It felt like a million pinpricks at first. Sensation. Feeling was starting to come back. He was regaining control of his body. Atherton Wing closed his eyes relieved that he could move his fingers once more. He promised himself that when he had full control of his legs, he would march right out of this private hospital room suite and give the aging mobster something to think about.

He heard a small click. Someone was coming in his room. At first, he thought it was just the nurse or a doctor. But he knew better when he heard a third step. His eyes went wide knowing that was the sound of a cane hitting the floor. Immediately, he turned to look for something to defend himself with but found nothing. Despair started to creep in when he saw a silver sparkle on the nearby table. An empty syringe.

The intruder fourth step and Atherton Wing was playing dead on his bed with a syringe on hidden on his right hand. "Mr Wing." The man said in dismay. Atherton tried to control himself. That was him. Adelei Niska himself. "I would have liked this done on the outside but it seems original plan had no luck.." There was a sound he knew very well. It was metal sliding against metal. The sound of a sword being unsheathed. "You see, Mr. Wing. I derive no pleasure in taking care of you this way. No. But our employer-- they want it done quickly and the circumstance is correct-- So i will oblige." He continued on walking forward. "You've been a good boy Mr. Wing." Atherton knew he was right beside his bed now. "But good people, as they say, die first." He finished.

Atherton Wing growled as he sprang to action. His muscles were lethargic but it was enough for him to have knocked the sword from the man's two handed grip ready to stab down his beating heart. He could see the shock in the older man's eyes and the sinister smile that came after when the old man punched him back to bed. Then Niska placed both hands around his neck cutting off his air supply. The sensors that were attached to him went crazy as he struggled to get free.

The politician's hand found the syringe once more in his bed. He was getting dizzy now due to the lack of air but he knew he had to try to free himself one last time. On one single burst, he had managed to stab the syringe where he thought the old man's heart rested and pressed on the plunger letting a syringe full of air into his body. But Niska pressed on.

But several seconds later, he felt the hands around his neck loosen giving him some time to breath a bit more freely. A coughing fit started when his airways were completely clear. Only one hand was on his neck now. Atherton could see Niska's right hand on where the syringe was embedded. This time, the roles were reversed. It was Niska that was trying to gasp for breath.

"Didn't think you had a heart." Atherton spat at the man when he fell to his knees. "You told your minions to tell Fanty and Mingo about a job to kidnap me. You knew Fanty and Mingo couldn't resist. You knew Reynolds and his crew wouldn't have a choice but to take it." He delivered a jab at the old man's temples. Niska fell to the floor helplessly grasping his heart with both hands. "You didn't give me that transmitter because you cared for my safety. You wanted me to lead you to that firefly so you could kill them." He growled. "And me."

There was a snicker from the mobster. "We have the girl so you were never my concern, boy." He managed to say. "You were theirs." The man's eyes grew wide as his body stiffly jerked several times before going still.

Atherton willed himself up on his feet. Staggering, he picked up the discarded sword and found it's sheath-- Niska's cane.

– _with the keys to the cage... _

_and the Devil to pay _

_we lay to Fiddler's Green! _

"Note to self.." Andy bit her lip as she fired several well aimed rounds before pressing her back against the cool cement of the basement's walls. She took a peek around the corner to see where the guards were positioned just to snap her head back when she saw one in particular, raise a gun to her direction. "Suggest an investment in Kevlar if available here." She winced when bullets flew past just where her head had been. Bits and pieces of the cement and plaster crumbled to the floor.

She watched Jayne Cobb across her in the other side grunting as he fired away at the Alliance soldiers that were trying to kill them all. Beside her, Simon Tam was still trying to support his half lucid sister. The downers they've injected in her were still on their course. Andy sighed when she fired at the two guards who were to slow to dodge wondering if another gun hand would've really made a difference.

The trooper looked up at the ceiling while bullets whizzed by as a reply to theirs. "Pipes." She said as if she were dazed.

"What?!" Dr Tam asked.

"Pipes." She pointed upwards following some of the larger pipes turn the corner heading down the adjacent hall filled with soldiers shooting at them. "Pipes normally have stuff in them." She grinned.

Simon raised an eyebrow doubtfully at her. " That's normally why they exist." He replied sounding somewhat annoyed.

"Exactly." She snapped her finger eying the shot gun Jayne was using to fend off soldiers. "Jayne!" She called out. "I've got an idea. On the count of three, you're heading right over here. I'll cover you." She took a peek beyond the corner taking note at where the Alliance men were.

Jayne stared at the young girl with disbelief. "Are you crazy?" He answered back.

"What's the matter? You want to live forever?" She inquired using the phrase everyone in SICON threw around to get troopers to steel their nerves. Then, she mentally slapped herself for that mistake.

"Not forever." Jayne replied. "A good long while without bullet holes though me would be shiny." He added.

Andy groaned regretting she had ever tried using words of encouragement. "Just get ready." She replaced the clip on her handgun before she gave the large man a nod. Jayne nodded back signaling that he was ready. "Three!" She yelled automatically sliding out of her hiding spot gun on hand just as Jayne threw himself to cross the hall behind her, landing just a few inches away from the doctor and his sister.

The trooper rolled back into safety, crouching in front of Jayne ignoring the bullets that were threatening to hit them. "You good?" She asked.

Jayne Cobbs patted himself down to make sure. "Seems like I'm all here." He answered. "Now what about this plan of yours?" He prompted.

"Right. So." She handed her gun to him along with a few extra clips from her pack. "I need your shotgun. We need to trade." She flinched when much louder weapon was fired their way. "And then I need you to take the good doctor and little sister to the rendezvous while I finish them off and get them off our back. Clear out of here." She pointed at the hall.

"No, Jayne." River suddenly shook her head slowly. "Don't do it. Please Jayne. No." She pleaded.

Jayne shrugged and shook his head. "Little Crazy there thinks it's a bad idea..." He trailed on. "Why can't we just mosey on out of here? Meeting point's just a few turns down." He suggested.

"Because the notion of being chased around is ridiculous and ups the stat that we get shot at every extra turn." She insisted.

"Jayne we can't leave her alone." River continued to lament.

"Look, it's not like I don't have a plan." Andy ignored the psychic's call and took and extended a shock stick off her pack. "There are pipes leading down that hall. I figure a few good shot gun blasts would dump stuff on them. Gas would disorient them enough so I can pick them off one by one. Liquid--" She activated the shock stick grinning. "-- and they get lit up. I can't set it up while you're still here so you have to go. I'll follow after. Easy peasy." She tilted her head towards the direction of the rendezvous point while deactivating the shock stick.

"Simon, we can't leave her." The girl sobbed.

Jayne glanced at the girl uneasily. "Gorram it, Anderson. Seems mighty shifty that River's..."

"Captain left you in charge not River." She cut him off. "So what'll it be? You have to make a decision Cobbs." She pressured.

"Get up Doc." He relented though River wouldn't stop protesting. "But you're to follow, dongma?" He relinquished his shot gun to the younger girl.

"Aye aye." She gave him a thumbs up.

"NO!" The psychic panicked trying to break her brother's hold on her. "Andy, you have to come with us. Simon... He's very good. Simon, he can--"

"Sshhh." She placed a finger on the psychic's lips. "It'll be fine. Now, you better go so I can start." She prompted.

Andy fired several rounds at the guards without knowing if she had hit any of them. She glanced at the disappearing figures that turned the corner then let her facade fall. Leaning against wall, she slowly unzipped the tight SICON jacket all the while grimacing in pain.

She was somewhat grateful for the opportunity to force them to leave her without much arguments. It was starting to get increasingly difficult to hide the fact that she had been shot when they were trying to get River out of the chair. The jacket helped a little. It was black. Blood wasn't going to show through black. She didn't count on it being so absorbent as well which proved helpful in that it prevented her blood from spreading against her blue dress. It was however, too tight. It was getting very uncomfortable, applying pressure at the wrong bits.

Besides, River knew she was hurt even when she was trying not to think about it. And Andy knew that River knew. It was lucky that the psychic was still doped up. She couldn't have done much about the situation in her state but protest. River couldn't have held the rest of them from choosing to escape, especially with a brother that protective. And the trooper didn't want to hold them back which would've happened if they found out that she was shot.

A shower of powdered cement near her cheek brought her back to reality. She looked up at the ceiling shaking her head in dismay. "I tried the "Thou shall not kill" thing. I really did. But there's not much choice now. I'm really sorry." She whispered before readying the shot gun and placing the shock stick within easy reach.

She took a deep breath, popped out of hiding and started shooting, not at the guards shooting back at her, but at the pipes above them. Andy kept shooting until the right pipe broke and spewed water onto the surprised Alliance men. Then, the trooper activated the shock stick and threw it into the pool forming on the floor. In an instant, electricity spread everywhere electrocuting the guards in an instant. There were a few small explosions when the gunpowder inside their weapons ignited but Andy couldn't watch. Instead, she aimed the shot gun to the head of the shock stick, pulled the trigger and leaped out of the way as the massive energy held on the charge was released simultaneously in the form of numerous bolts of lightning and thunder. The walls cracked where the lightning struck. And she was quite sure that the building was shaking. But that barely registered to her crumpled form.

She pounded the floor with her fist to keep from crying out when she landed on the wrong side of her body. Her free hand automatically went to her side at the site while watching the lightning dissipate and the dust and small debris in the air subside. "It's not that bad Andy. move along." She told herself. But something in the back of her mind was calling her a liar. Very slowly she pulled herself up using the wall, one hand on her wound and the other with a shot gun. Her body protested when she took a step forward. "Just keep swimming." She urged herself following the way that the others had went. "Just keep swimming."

-- -- -- - -

_Yo, ho, haul together. _

_Hoist the colours high. _

They ran. Down halls and corridors, they ran to find the elevators that brought them down. They knew where they were going once-- when they left the room where they held her hostage. But the gun fights and running led them to turn on corners they weren't suppose to. The exchange of bullets made them leave when they didn't want to-- or at least she didn't.

And now they were lost.

Nobody was following them. River was at least sure of that. Every step she took made her more awake and more aware of the people around her and the minds around them. The lights flickered for a moment then it became steady once more. They ran until they saw an open door with a chair in the center of the room and several unconscious bodies littered around it.

"No no no no no." A frustrated Jayne Cobbs yelled. "We're right back where we were previous. This ain't right." He complained punching the wall.

"At least we know where to go now." Her brother Simon said trying to catch his breath by leaning against a wall.

"Someone's coming." River whispered looking around the room. She saw Jayne get his pistol ready. "Someone's coming." She repeated more certain than ever. She grabbed her brother out of the way just as the metal grill above him fell clanging on the floor. Jayne readied his gun.

"Don't shoot." A female voice cried from the hole. A body fell from the air vent and landed deftly on her feet with her hands up. "Don't shoot big guy." She said moving away from where she came from. "All clear!" She shouted before three more troopers came down.

"What in gorram's name are you folk doing here?" Jayne demanded in his mounting frustration.

River watched Dizzy Flores frown. She wasn't happy. River could feel that she didn't think this was right. "Helping her get out of here." The trooper answered pointing her thumb at the psychic. "L.T.'s orders." She informed them formally.

"Oh." River was surprise to hear Simon react so wryly. "Now you decide to help. Great."

"Better late than never." Their medic replied though the psychic couldn't understand why it sounded like an apology.

"We have to go." She warned a bit too late. A second later the sound of a single gun fire brought them all back to reality. They all quickly steered clear of the door, dividing themselves on it's edges. Jayne slid his spare pistols to two troopers just as more bullets were fired their way. "Well, ain't it possible to get out from there?" Jayne asked pointing at the air vent above.

The reporter with them shook his head. "There was a pretty steep drop at one point. I don't think we can climb out." He grimaced as one bullet went a bit too near for his liking.

"What's that?" River asked all of a sudden eying the something poking out of the pocket of the trooper beside her.

"I don't know. L.T. said to hook it up to a computer after we find you." The mechanic sighed. "Doesn't look like anything here would work though. All medical stuff." He shrugged before shooting several rounds.

River's eyes grew wide and made the trooper face her. "I saw it in her mind. The signal-- the signal can not be stopped. It goes everywhere." She saw the man's face crumple into confusion. "Give it to me." She requested.

"River, what are you doing?" Simon asked.

"I'm going to start the signal. I can do it. I know what to do." She answered pointing up at the air vent. "If you stay here, they won't know I'm gone." She argued.

"And what if trouble finds you?" Simon challenged. "We'll find away for that after we get out of here."

River ignored him and instead stared at the mechanic and placed her hand out waiting for the red box.

"I don't know—" The trooper eyed her brother warily.

"What's the matter?" River mimicked the line she has heard so much of since the troopers came on board. "Want to live forever?"

She knew she had won when the trooper sighed and handed her the box. "This better work." He warned her before going down on one knee to boost her up.

"It will." All she had to do was find a computer in an empty room

_Heave ho, thieves and beggars, _

_never shall we die._

The alarms rang.

"Copy that Jayne." Captain Mal Reynolds said into his piece. "Zoe, they set off the alarm." He faced his second in command who was staring into the small window of a door. He waited for the usual dry response that normally followed but none came. "Zoe?" He walked towards her tentatively. "This ain't the time for--"

"Captain." She said quietly moving aside, head bowed in dismay. Mal saw her eye the window. He knew she wanted him to see what's beyond the door. He sighed taking a step forward and peered in. Much to his surprise, there was a little boy sitting on a small chair. He had a mess of strawberry blonde and wore a simple white nightgown. On his lap was a small bear. The child's hazel eyes stared at him with the intensity he thought no child could manage. He didn't look any older than five. "Captain." Zoe placed one hand on his shoulder.

"Line the door with explosives. Get him out." He ordered moving back so that she could do her job while he served as a look out. He heard several poofs and a loud thud. Yet nobody miraculously, nobody came for them. It didn't mean, however, that they would never come. "Zoe? You done?" He asked.

"Captain, they set off the alarms." She said walking past him carrying the child in her arms.

Mal deadpanned. "You don't say." He replied going after them, expertly re tracing their steps with caution. "Kid have a name?" He asked before peering down an empty corridor.

"If he does, he ain't saying." Zoe answered giving the boy a pat on the back. Mal was sure he was seeing things. He knew she planned on having children. The image of Zoe being motherly, however, was something he had trouble imagining.

Captain Reynolds wasn't complaining when they reached the elevators without meeting the opposite side. The had flickered several times like an omen of things to come. But he shoved the thought away. He wasn't the superstitious sort. What bothered him the most is the echoes of gun fire and the fact that his crew was still missing. "They should've been here by now." He frowned eying the corridors for signs of his crew.

"Reckon they ran into trouble." Zoe gave him a humourless smile. "Do we go after them, sir?"

"Don't even know where they gorram went." He replied staring at the elevator door behind her, opening to reveal several men behind one furious Atherton Wing. He was holding a sword. "Besides, I think we have our own troubles now."

-- -- -- -

Note: I forgot. Hoist the Colours is that song from POTC III


	15. Hoist the Colours III

Hoist the Colours III

_The bell has been raised _

_from its watery grave... _

_Hear its sepulchral tone. _

"Sergeant Zim!" A civilian clothed girl turned in surprise. She adjusted her blue sweater and eyed her sneakers sheepishly. When the sergeant gave her a formal salute, she ran her fingers through her chocolate brown hair and returned the gesture quickly. "Right. I keep forgetting about the rank thing. Virtual Command's a bit more free for all." She apologized.

"I'm a sergeant just until 0800, Commander Sanders." The sergeant gave her a small smile as he stepped into the Roughnecks' squad room in the grounded Valley Forge. "I don't know what you're taking about. I'm just here to collect items left--" He took a deep breath. "For the families." He explained.

The officer offered him a friendly yet sad smile when she lifted a small laptop from underneath a bunk's mattress. "You don't have to worry about this one's." She replied. "I'm collecting her things for Virtual Command and Sean--" She winced at the mistake and corrected herself at once. "I mean, Sgt. Lavigne."

"I've been meaning to contact her mother. It isn't on file..."

"You shouldn't." Sanders quickly said. Sgt. Zim turned to face the Intel officer shaking her head. "You could but you shouldn't. Disowned is disowned. Sean and the band were her family and has been for a very long time." She explained while running her fingers through the bunk's metal underbelly to find several things lodged inside. She eyed them with much amusement before placing them inside a pocket of her bag. "I heard you were strict sergeant. Don't you check their bunks?" She chuckled when she found a small plastic frog jammed into the frame's corner.

"Lt. Rico's Alpha squad is bit more free for all." He replied mimicking the her words.

Commander Sanders grinned. "Touche." She siad before picking up her vibrating phone. She moaned when she saw the number. "Duty calls." She apologized before plopping down on her friend's bunk. "Madhatter." She greeted sourly placing the phone on speaker. "It's five in the morning. It better be important."

"Where are you?" A man on the other end asked.

"Earth-side starship." She answered quickly. "This better be good."

"It is. Listen to this." The phone was suddenly spewing out music. Sgt. Zim didn't know the song but when the girl buried her face onto her hands and growled, it was quite obvious she did. "Did you hear it?" The man suddenly asked.

"Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down-- shall I go on?" She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Tell me you've tracked this evil Rick Roller."

There was sigh on the other end. "That's the thing. It's gone everywhere and it hasn't done anything but play the chorous looped. It's on a really low frequency too. It's not on any line we use. SICON or civy. It also not from anything SICON or civy. It's not from here, Princess which doesn't make sense. It has to come from somewhere." He informed the officer.

Sgt. Zim saw the girl straighten and stare right at him. "It does because the signal goes everywhere. The signal can't be stopped." She barely manage to say over the phone. "Beam up RageGarden, Neo and Slayer. Give it to them. Tell them that I say it's Indigo Grey Clover. I repeat. Indigo. Grey. Clover." She ordered before disconnecting the call. "Sorry. I know it sounds weird but it's easier for us to go by screen names." She apologized while taking out a small laptop from her bag. She started typing quietly staring at the screen before her. And suddenly, the sergeant was reminded of the trooper who used to do the same thing on that bunk.

He could see the ghosts start coming out of the bunks. Their owners happily throwing a football around while others slept. The endless chatter about nothing in particular filled the room. Above the typing girl's bunk was the bunk of the reporter filming everything. The football flew. Someone wasn't able to catch it and the football hit a pile of paperwork on another bunk, sending handhelds and paper to the floor. That man left his bunk and instead of getting angry like he was suppose to, he joined in the welcome interruption.

"Sergeant Zim." The quiet girl called to him. "Sergeant Zim!" She repeated more urgently. Just like that they were gone. The room was empty except for the young Commander Sanders waving a hand at him from where she sat.

"Sorry, I just--" He tried to apologize.

"I don't care." She answered quickly handing her phone over to him. "I know you know the Sky Marshal's private line. I need to speak with the Sky Marshal." She said evenly.

"With all due respect, Commander, but you said it yourself. It's five in the morning." Sergeant Zim argued offering the phone back to her.

But she didn't take it back. "It's about Alpha Squad." She revealed. "We need to extract them from Alliance Territories. I need the Sky Marshal's authorization to gain entrance to their system to find the signal's location." She answered promptly.

"There's not such thing as Alliance Territories." He offered the phone back to her again.

This time, the Commander stood from her seat and forcefully pushed the phone back to him. "It's on a need to know basis. You didn't need to know." She smiled sweetly at him. "Now make the call, sergeant." She ordered.

"You might outrank me, sir, but you're just a kid who rose far too fast in the chain." The sergeant narrowed his eyes at the girl in defiance. "Alpha squad-- my Alpha squad-- was on a transport when they were--"

Tiffany Sanders rolled her eyes and grabbed the older man's collar and pulled him down to her level. "Do you see that, sergeant?" She pointed at the laptop's screen filled letters and numbers. "That's the rickroller's code. That's MY code." She let him go. "In my fourth year of military high, the undefeated sector 700 finally had their plate of chips handed to them by Sector 4320 in a little computer exercise. 4320 went at it sideways. They infected the outside with a message instead of directly attacking the components of 700 like everybody else. The message spread everywhere until finally it inevitably got into 700's systems. 4320 was the last system standing." She related. " I was team captain of 4320. We rickrolled them and it was fun." She glared at the sergeant. "That year, a merit scholar transferred in. Administration was worried that the new senior would have a hard time adjusting to the program especially since we did Basic training in our last year. No matter how smart a peson is, even with several AP courses done, Basic Training takes the crap out of you. A student mentor was given to help with the adjustment. I was that mentor. Ashley Anderson was the weird new scholar. We were five in a room. Me, Neo, RageGarden, Slayer and she was our fifth." She smirked haughtily. "We taught Andy. She wasn't on the team so SICON didn't offer her a placement right off the bat. But when she had free time, she did help debug my code." She pointed at the screen again. "That code." She picked up the laptop and pointed at the bottom of the screen. "If you still don't believe me, this part wasn't in the original. That's extra after the sound bite. That's Morse. If you can't read it, that says 1178433 SOS." She placed the laptop back on the bunk.

"Private First Class Ashley Anderson, Serial number--" He paled.

"1178433. Your Roughneck. Our Clover." Sanders finished for him. "Sending out a SOS to the world knowing that if it reaches us, it would have to pass through me. Andy would never replicate that just for fun because she knows I'll be beyond annoyed. Which tells me she was ordered to. Now who do you think would do that?" She folded her arms. "Make the call, sergeant. Consider it as an order from your Lt. Rico."

_A call to all, _

_pay heed the squall _

_and turn your sail to home! _

Rifles were raised against them. Five armed soldiers standing behind Atherton Wing were ready to shoot and execute them at his command. The child knew there was nowhere they can go. He could see the tense yet defiant expression the woman carrying him was sporting. She was staring them down, bravely. And so, he decided, should he.

He set his gaze at the man with the sword. He remembered him. He was the one who worked in government. The man would walk past his room. He would never play with him. Nobody ever did. Instead, they would just ask him questions. He would just ask him questions, tell him to behave and put him to sleep. He didn't like him. And he liked that the lady carrying him didn't like him either.

He could feel it.

"Ath," The man called Captain stepped forward and placed himself in between-- right in the line of fire. Captain spread his arms. "We were wondering what happened to you?" He said as if nothing was wrong. As if there wasn't a firing squad ready to shoot.

"You know very well what happened to me, Reynolds." He walked out of the elevator shouting.

The Captain shrugged innocently. "Heard you had a private room in the hospital." He admitted. Captain Reynolds glanced back briefly. "Didn't we hear that Zoe? Word's out that he got sick. " He asked.

"Yes we did, Captain." Zoe gave an affirming nod.

"From what pray tell?" Mal Reynolds continued on his inquiry. "Flu maybe?" He guessed.

"Flu?!" Atherton Wing charged connecting the pommel of his sword with the Captain's jaw. "I'll show you flu!" He glowered as Mal fell to the ground.

It was then the Captain smiled a humourless smile. "I accept!" He smirked while holding his jaw. The politician's eyes grew wide with unexpressed rage. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the sword harder than he had ever had in his life.

"Captain, did I miss something?" Zoe asked slowly.

"He slapped me Zoe." Captain Reynolds pointed out as raised himself off the floor.

"I can see that Sir." His first mate nodded slowly. "But what did you accept."

Mal gave her a bewildered look. "The challenge." He answered simply while rotating his shoulders. "It's mano a mano." He pointed at him and Atherton. "Man vs. Man. Yi dui yi. Survival of the fittest. Right Ath?" He smirked. "That's your fancy rules ain't it?" He prodded. "I seem to recollect winning the last time." He continued on.

"But you won't win this time." Atherton Wing swung his sword into a wide horizontal arc. The Captain manage to duck before the blade could hit him and caught the man's arm before he could attack again. Mal twisted the politician's sword arm behind him forcing him to relinquish his hold on the sword. The sword fell to the ground.

Disarmed, Atherton used his free arm to elbow the Captain away. Once the hold on his arm was loosened, he took the opportunity to quickly slip away. He back pedaled a few steps to put some distance between them and readied himself for the next onslaught.

_Yo, ho, haul together. _

_Hoist the colours high._

Max Brutto always had a trouble with sitting still. Sitting and waiting for something to happen never was his style. He was more used to making things happen. It was often a mixed result. Sometimes he landed into trouble-- like when words just stumble out of his mouth or when he gets into people's faces. But sometimes, the same annoying trait everyone hated in him was the same trait leading him to victory. He was fairly sure he would not have become a highschool all star athlete if he was satisfied sitting and waiting on the benches. And he knew for a fact that the instinct has saved him more times than he count against the bugs. All this time, he was just used to following his guts.

So when his guts told him that he needed food, no amount of Roughneck chatter from Rico or Ibanez would've prevented him from walking out the door. Sure. The lieutenant was kind enough to share the food a nurse brought in for him-- which the younger trooper personally found was some surreal moment. However, when the plastic lid was taken away, Brutto was certain of two things. One-- It was not going to be enough. And more importantly, Two-- It made already doubtful Infantry food look like a gourmet meal. So, he grabbed the money Rico had on him, and marched out the door as fast as he could.

"Unbelievable." He told himself in disbelief when a nurse he recognized as the one who gave Rico food, smiled and passed by him. There was a major fight right below them and these people didn't even seem to know what was going on. They were going about their merry way as the lights flickered now and then. He didn't know whether they were just pretending or if they were really oblivious to the fact that their government was doing secret experiments in their basement. He wondered if they would even believe them if he told them or if they would throw him to the loony bin. "Institution." He decided when he was a few steps shy of the lobby. "Nobody would believe anything that cliche." He shoved his hands into his pocket checking that the money was still there. "Experimenting in a basement. Every mad scientists' M.O." He rolled his eyes.

There were what looked to be armed men in uniform hassling the admitting officer making him even more aware that he should be careful not to get caught. They were probably coming to help take down the 'rebels' downstairs. It wouldn't help his friends if he got caught by a squad of Alliance soldiers.

"There's no one here by that name. You have the wrong place." The doctor insisted.

"Look." One of the men in black tapped on the counter unconvinced. "If Intel says he's here, he's here. So one more time." He held up a handheld with a picture on the top right corner. "We're looking for Lt. Juan Rico of the Strategically Integrated Coalition of Nations. Also known as Johnny Rico." He informed the doctor again. "These are his known associates." He showed another handheld with more pictures on it. "Fleet Lt. Carmen Ibanez. Intel Special Operations Officer Carl Jenkins. Corporal Doc LeCroix. Corporal Jeffrey Gossard. Private first class Isabelle Flores. Private first class Ashley Anderson. FedNet reporter Private Robert Higgins and Private first class Max Brutto." He went through the list carefully pointing to each picture to match the name.

Brutto froze when he heard his name called. He was mere inches away from the glass door but decided to sit on a nearby bench instead to make out the legitimacy of these soldiers. He didn't remember giving their ranks to Atherton Wing. And it was highly unlikely the crew of Serenity turned them in since they were wanted themselves.

"Sir, we've already told you--"

"You didn't even look." The soldier argued. "I apologize. Our orders are to get them SICON- side ASAP. Now, I know you don't know what SICON is but let me assure you that nothing bad will happen to these men and women. We're just here to make sure they're taken care of." He reassured the doctor calmly.

The trooper had hear enough. "Hey!" He called out marching up to them. "Stop bothering the doc." He glared at the soldiers who quickly made way for him.

"Private Brutto!" The officer formally saluted him. "Orders came in from HQ--"

"You can wear as much gear as you want. It ain't make you a trooper." Brutto interrupted abruptly. "Anderson says the only SICON anything is in Ariel and we ain't there. So how do I know I can trust you?" He challenged.

"Sir," Someone to his left said tentatively. "Private Anderson..." He paused. "Well, she's only half right. The office is in Ariel. But there's always been a team in every major Alliance city. Besides, it was Intel who traced the message back and it was Sky Marshal Redwing who personally ordered your retrieval." The uncomfortable tone of his reply reminded the young trooper of Higgins.

Their commanding officer handed a small thin box to him. "It's official SICON. For the Roughnecks." He nodded a bit too smugly for his liking.

Brutto's frown grew deeper as he rolled his eyes and signaled them to follow him back to Rico's room. "You got any food?" He asked the soldiers.

_Heave ho, thieves and beggars, _

_never shall we die. _

They were both after the sword but neither of them had it long enough to use it against the other. Zoe's forehead creased with worry. When this began, she was certain that Serenity's captain would have had an upper hand. After all, they've served in the war together and numerous exploits while living in the firefly proved, at least to her, that Mal Reynolds was one of the best fighters she knew. But now she knew she was mistaken.

Not only was Atherton Wing holding his own but he was attacking and defending jabs, punches and hits like he had been doing this all his life-- which was highly unlikely for an aristocrat. He was fast and agile enough to dodge and block most things that flew his way. He got up every time he fell, more determined than ever to end the captain's life.

Zoe didn't quite catch how Atherton managed to take hold of the sword when Mal was holding it just a second before. But as the captain staggered backwards, he had left himself open for a second. Atherton lunged and the blade went through the captain's body. The silence was suddenly deafening as the sound of Mal falling to the ground echoed through the corridors.

"How does it feel to be at the other end, Reynolds." The politician growled placing the sword tip on top of his opponent's heart.

"Quite pleasant actually." Mal replied defiantly grasping his bleeding side.

Atherton Wing grinned. "Well you know what they say." He said. "Sweet dreams are made of these." He raised the sword ready to thrust it downwards.

Zoe closed her eyes and looked away. She hated that she couldn't do anything to help. The soldiers surrounding them would've done away with her before she could even try. But she couldn't watch him kill Mal. She had watched the Reaver's javelin kill her husband. She was not going to stand by and let a despicable man like Atherton Wing kill her friend. She slowly placed the child down on the floor and let him go. But just as she moved to help, the child reached for her hand and held it firmly. She looked back to see him shaking his head.

"Keep your hands in the air!" One of the soldiers the politician brought down yelled suddenly. "Mr. Wing, keep your hands in the air or we will shoot." He warned.

"What is the meaning of this?" Atherton demanded.

"New orders came through, Sir." The soldier said as the elevator door behind him opened. More soldiers streamed out of elevator, rifles ready to fire. "We have been reassigned." He informed the parliamentarian while giving his weapon up to the newer soldiers.

"Under who's command?!" Atherton glowered.

"Mine." The sea of black soldiers suddenly parted revealing a man in a hospital gown being pushed forward on a wheelchair. "And your under arrest." He informed the politician. "Sergeant, cuff him." He ordered. The man pushing his wheel chair and three more soldiers disarmed the politician and slipped cuffs on his hands.

"This is preposterous!" Atherton exclaimed.

"You got that right." He answered back. "Captain get yourself patched up."

"Lieutenant?" Mal's eyes widened in disbelief as Zoe helped him to his feet.

"L.T!" Someone called down a corridor. "We got River Tam." Higgins said trying to catch his breath. "Actually, she kind of hooked the thing up into a computer." The reporter huffed.

Dizzy Flores eyed the soldiers around them warily. "Nice wheels, Rico. But how'd you get down here?"

"Got new friends from SICON." He pointed at the soldiers around him. "It pays to be nice." He offered the girl who returned the reply with a raised eyebrow. "OK. Apparently, HQ is in Ariel but SICON's got cells in the big cities of every rock. Who knew? Even Andy didn't know for once." He shrugged.

"Where is Andy?" Doc asked the Captain and Zoe.

"Yeah. We thought she was just with your group. Isn't she with you?" Higgins added.

Zoe eyed the larger man incredulously. "Jayne, she was with you."

"Gorram it!" Jayne cursed. "She said she had this plan with this stick--" He tried to defend himself.

The lieutenant's eyes narrowed. "What plan with a stick?" Rico inquired.

_Yo, ho haul together_

_Hoist the colours high_

SICON soldiers went ahead of them. They went corner after corner passing by bodies that have fallen. So far, all of them have been Alliance. "This here's the place we left her." Jayne Cobbs said when they got to a flooded hall littered with bodies. His eyes stared at the damage inflicted on the walls. Water was still flowing down the pipes in several areas. There were large pits and cracks were all over the place. Several places had large segments of the pillars within the walls exposed. "One little girl--" He trailed on with disbelief.

"And a shock stick." Dizzy picked up the broken weapon from the shallow pool wryly. "She blew the charge. Hellfire and brimstone. They didn't stand a chance." She walked forward following Gossard and Doc nervously. They were close. She knew they were close.

"Oh no." She heard Higgins start running. "Doc!"

"Did you find her?" Doc asked running after the reporter with Gossard right behind him.

She turned the corner and saw Higgins at the end staring blankly at the adjacent hall as Doc and Gossard disappeared when they turned. Her face fell when she saw a red streak on the wall. She knew it was blood. It dipped in some parts just to come back up again. Dizzy realized that these were the spots that she fell. But she kept getting back up and walking on.

The trooper turned the corner and stood beside the reporter. They found her. Andy was crumpled near the next intersection of corridors. The smudges on the wall beside her told the redhead that she tried to get up but failed. And there she was on the floor, one hand on her bloodied side and one hand on a shot gun.

Then suddenly, the shotgun was lifted mere inches off the floor. Dizzy saw her eyes flutter open and try to concentrate. Doc and Gossard stopped in their tracks placing their hands in the air. "Andy." Gossard said tentatively. "Andy don't shoot, okay?"

The weapon dropped to floor and she watched as the two friends rushed in. All she could do was watch. "Sorry." Came an uncomfortable soft whisper from the girl.

"She's lost a lot of blood." Doc stated examining her state.

Dr. Tam quickly opened his kit beside Doc and took out a syringe. "Adrenaline." He passed the needle to Doc. "It might help since we don't know what's wrong with her yet." He took the girl's hand off her wound. Then he gave the nearest soldier a look of alarm. " It's her lungs. Get a bed down here and tell them to prep an emergency room. Now!" He ordered.

"Ran out of gas. Standby mode." She replied weakly. Her lips twitched for a moment as if to smile. "CHAS joke." She explained.

"CHAS joke." Gossard repeated in disbelief while he gently pushed strands of hair away from her face. "You're going to be fine." He said giving her a small smile. "And we're going home. Now, didn't I tell you in the ship that I'd come get you so we can all go home together? Roughnecks never leave a man behind." He reminded her.

"Silly Mech." She tried to smile but winced instead. Her eyes closed. "Not a Roughneck anymore." She whispered breathlessly before a coughing fit took over.

"Where's that bed?!" Dr. Tam demanded when he saw she was coughing out more blood..

"Andy!" Doc lightly patted her cheek trying to wake her up. "Andy!" But the girl's head just rolled to one side trying to breath in short gasps. "She's drowning in her own blood. Forget the bed. We're getting her out of here." Doc decided. "Goss."

"Got it." The mechanic said lifting the limp girl as gently as possible.

_Heave ho, thieves and beggars_

_Never shall we die_


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 14:

Fighting to stay alive.

As troopers, we always thought that the we've been through the worst of things. We took to arms against a horde of merciless bugs who wanted nothing more than human extinction. We fought for every millimeter of ground and space. We questioned the decisions of superiors whose orders we were meant to follow. Outnumbered, outflanked, and backed into a corner, we battled against overwhelming odds. Every time we suited up and got ready for deployment, we knew we were doing so knowing that there was a possibility that we were not going to survive the mission. Every single time we were called upon, we were called to stare Death in the eye.

We fought to stay alive.

But we were wrong. Or at least just partially right.

Real life isn't much easier. There were no bugs or threats of mass extinction. There were no orders to tell you what to do. Instead, you're left on your own to decide your own fate-- to survive.

Our time in the Alliance Terretories almost made the Bug War look so simple. If you see a bug heading for you, you take your rifle and pull the trigger because you know that being is your enemy. But in people-- in human beings-- how can you tell who you can trust? The corrupt government who experiments on children to make them human weapons? The space pirates living life in the fringe with their own code of morality? The military officer trying to keep his squad alive no matter how doubtful his alliances may seem? The trooper who wants to do it by the system? The girl who is used to surviving on her own?

I remember a time in the Valley Forge when Andy lent me her music player while she snuck out to do solo training on the VR. There was a song that asked one single question over and over again. "Do you know your enemy?" Back then, the answer was clear as day. The Arachnids were the enemy.

The Terretories gave us a little slice of real life-- life after being discharged. One day, we would be stepping out of HQ to deal with people not bugs. There would be no orders coming down from the higher ups if we should cross the street and eat the cake. Time would be our own. We would be our own Command.

And on that day, the question in that song would come back.

"Do you know your enemy?"

-- From the diary of Robert Higgins

"Wow." Kaylee stared at starship accompanied by several fighter ships passing by overhead atop the hull of Serenity. A shadow passed over them when it blocked out the sun for a moment. She watched it fly effortlessly until only the blinking lights could be seen against the sheer cover of clouds. "Captain, you think The Alliance would ever have a ship like that?" She turned to face the man welding beside her.

"Sure hope not." He looked uneasily at the fading lights. "It's getting crowded in my sky." There was a furious yell of frustration from the cargo bay. "Not to mention my gorram ship." The Captain added when he saw Jayne march out of the firefly and glare at him.

"MAL!" He growled. " That... that..." He stuttered in anger. "You can't be serious about keeping him!" He finally let out.

Inara dropped the paint brush onto it's holder and stared down at the nagry man from Serenity's wing. "What could he possibly have done this time Jayne?" She asked exchanging a quick smile of humour with the Captain.

"He.." Jayne huffed. "I was tidying up the storage compartments like Mal said to do, and when i slide the panel over, there he is! Staring right at me." He yelled. "Dropped my box of tools on my feet and everything!" He threw his hands in the air. "We can't keep him!" He repeated.

"But Jayne, he's cute." Kaylee argued.

River slowly walked out of the firefly calmly and faced Jayne defiantly. "We were merely playing the game Zoe suggested before she left to see to the engine part. According to her, it is a classic game when one is babysitting." She informed the larger man.

"You ain't even qualified to babysit." Jayne blurted out.

"I am of sufficient age." River defended herself.

"River," Kaylee called out curiously. "What game were you playing?"

The psychic girl looked up and smiled. "Hide and go seek. It's quite challenging." She said without explaining before walking back inside the firefly.

Jayne stared incredelously at the girl walking away then returned his attentions to the three working on the ship's hull. "We ain't keeping them both!" He fumed while the two ladies couldn't stop giggling at his expense.

"Keeping who Jayne?" Simon asked as he accompanied Zoe back to the ship. .

"The kid!" He exploded.

Zoe merely shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Run along Jayne." She smiled wry at the man dismissing his anger.

"Mal!" Jayne argued.

"You got a problem with that kid, you talk to Zoe." The Captain sighed bracing himself for bad news. "Zoe, I ain't seeing an engine part with you." He noted ignoring the stream of curses Jayne let out as he stormed off.

"There ain't none, Captain." Zoe frowned placing her hands on her hips. "They sold the last bit day before yesterday and they don't know if they're getting any more in the future."

Mal Reynolds pounded Serenity's hull obviously frustrated. "Tian a." He sighed looking up at the sky defeatedly.

-- -- - -

Sgt. Zim eyed every trooper gathered at the small hospital room. They seemed to squirm in their seats which he thought was thoroughly fitting. It might have taken him weeks having to clear all details with the local government, but he reached the city of Beaumonde to bring his troopers back home. All the paperwork seemed trivial now. The political mess this event has caused within SICON walls seemed unimportant. The SICON diplomatic envoy heading to Ariel after dropping him off in Beaumonde was far from his mind. The Roughnecks were what's important.

Their reunion was marked by relief. He was relieved they were mostly okay and alive. They were relieved that they were found. Never had Sgt. Zim seen the troopers so subdued. He didn't expect them to rejoice to high heavens but he didn't expect them to be so guarded either. Being in an unknown place was taking a toll on them. Watching over an unconscious comrade was making it worse.

For a moment, the only sound in the room were from the monitors that flanked the girl's bed. The sergeant watched as the pale girl breathed normally like she was just asleep. If only she was just asleep. In the past weeks, he's been making sure to check up on the troopers almost like a parent. He knew the situation but not the details.

"How long has Anderson been in a coma?" He finally asked.

"Six weeks, two days." Doc answered soberly. "There have been complications since we last talked." He sighed.

"Complications?" The sergeant frowned.

"Andy caught pneumonia from the aspirator. We almost lost her again." Doc shook his head and sighed. "She's stable now. Antibiotics are doing what they're supposed to."

"Is she stable enough to be transferred to the tank?" He asked.

The medic nodded. "Probably even better if she took the swim. The bots could monitor and regulate everything better than we can here." He said.

"Well then," The sergeant took a music player from his pocket and quickly placed earphones on the still trooper. "You might as well be as comfortable as possible, Anderson. Lavigne said this might help." He gave her a small smile that he knew she wouldn't see before pressing play.

"Um.. Sarge?" Higgins uncomfortably raised his hand. "What's going to happen to us?"

Sgt. Zim raised his gaze to the pilot sitting at the corner of the room. "I can't speak for Fleet, Ibanez but I'm fairly certain this applies to you as well." He crossed his arms over his chest. "SICON's taken to great lengths to keep this away from the media as possible which became complicated seeing as one of their reporters--" He glanced at Higgins, "--was one of the missing. So, as far as the civilians know, you're all MIA in Hydora and you were rescued." He slowly stressed. "I know it's not going to sit well with any of you but this is a highly political matter that can't be solved by shooting guns at each other. At least, not yet." He said meeting each of their gazes. " Let the good men and women of SICON do their jobs. You've done yours." He finished.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but get us out of here and bring on the bugs." Rico chuckled.

"You're not listening to me, son." Sgt. Zim glared at the lieutenant. " I said, you've done your jobs." He repeated. "We're going back to Earth. You're all going to get debriefed and discharged. You've served above and beyond your tour of duty. Every one of you." He let a smile slip.

"No way!" Dizzy Flores gasped in shock.

"Seriously?" Carl Jenkins exchanged a look of amazement with the red head.

The sergeant nodded solemnly. "Oh." He smirked. "Except maybe Rico."

"What?!" The lieutenant's face fell.

"Your records show you've skipped Officer's training." He grinned. "That's mandatory. No exceptions." Sgt. Zim almost sang.

"You gotta be kidding me." Rico slumped against the chair dejectedly.

"Time to hit the books Rico." Brutto teased. "Think you can handle papercuts?"

"At least I know what to give you on your birthday. A box of band-aids." The pilot joined in while the officer groaned.

"What about Andy?" Jeffrey Gossard suddenly asked. "If she doesn't wake up..." He trailed on.

"Rules are clear." Sgt. Zim gave him a grim smile. "By Power of Attorney, if she is unable to make decisions on her own, as the case is now, an agent of her choosing will make her medical decisions for her." He quoted and shrugged. "SICON is ready to give her the best possible care that could be afforded in around HQ and I've discussed the possibilities with Sgt. Lavigne." He shook his head warily. "The sergeant decided to opt out." He revealed.

"That's crazy!" Doc exclaimed.

"He refused care?!" The reporter questioned.

"She needs medical attention." Gossard argued.

"Now, I know why they're friends." Brutto shoved his hands to his pockets.

Sgt. Zim lifted his hand to calm them down. "According to the sergeant, they have people at home to take care of her. Remember that respecting his decision is respecting hers. Now-" He paused arching his eyebrows expectantly, "- anyone want to tell me how this happened?"

Bruto smirked and the sergeant knew he was going to regret the words that would come out his mouth. "Ibanez can't fly." The trooper offered.

"It's going to be a long way home." The sergeant sighed.


	17. Chapter 17

Note:: Sorry, this was done weeks and weeks ago. And i thought i've uploaded it already. Gah.

River Tam watched the sand fall slowly through her fingers. It was her favorite time of the day. The beach was quiet now that the sun had set. Daylight was fading quickly-- just like the sand falling from her fingers. Just like time.

It has been six months since they came to 'Earth- that- was' as refugees. She had unintentionally seen glimpses of this world in the minds of the troopers so it surprised even her that she found tears in her eyes when they touched down on SICON HQ in San Francisco. Everything was different, even the air. Everything felt honest. Un-manufactured.

The Sky Marshall had told them they couldn't go back home. Home had become too dangerous for every one of them. _She should never be weaponized, _she heard the Sky Marshall's thoughts accidentally, _No one should know. _River understood. She was dangerous. The Alliance should never find her. Because of her, they could never go home. She had caused so many people so much trouble.

But the Captain wouldn't hear of her incoherent apologies nor Simon's more eloquent ones. Even Jayne. "Bout time we leave the black anyway," the Captain had answered and River knew he had meant it. They all thought everything was, literally and figuratively, _shiny_.

"Captain," she greeted without looking back at the man who she knew has been looking for her.

"Hey little albatross," Captain Malcom Reynolds replied, no longer surprised that she knew he was coming, "Zoe has a mean casserole waiting for us back in Serenity. Don't think Inara and Kaylee can use their womanly ways to keep Jayne away from it for very long. Nor do I think your da ge would mind if we eat without him."

"Coming," she said, dusting sand off her clothes as she stood. It only took several minutes to reach their new place of residence.

They lived on the floor above a club called Static and below Private Anderson's loft. It had five rooms of different sizes. It was where Sergeant Lavigne used to live until her married. It was where the Yellow Underground Project used to house people they were helping. Bands of the Y.U.P. Use the space when they were in town. Now, they lived there. "The lost are found," Citizen Lavigne had said handing them the security codes. In a few short weeks, they had turned the empty space into something familiar-- the living quarters of Serenity.

The door slid open and River couldn't help but smile seeing Kaylee swat Jayne's hand away from the casserole and hearing both Zoe and Inarra berate the large man. "Aw, c'mon, wo tu zi uh le," he moaned. "This ain't fair! I ain't the one who's late."

"Shut your pie hole or you ain't getting no pie, Jayne," the Captain answered back for the ladies.

"Captain," Zoe warned tilting her head towards the red head child staring at him with big wide eyes, "Language."

Captain Reynolds sighed taking his seat at the head of the table. "Little girl?" he prompted River to her seat.

Several moments later, dinner was fully on its way. River ate quietly in her seat as she usually did, listening to the others recount their day. Zoe was looking for a school for her adopted child. Kaylee found work in the mechanic shop where another trooper friend of Citizen Lavigne, worked. Somewhere in between those stories, Simon came in, giving her several affectionate pats on the shoulder before sitting down on the empty seat beside her. Jayne laughed out loud and teased Kaylee about her work while spooning seconds on his plate. And the Captain was about to reprimand him for his callous words when a several loud crashing noises from above interrupted their dinner. There was a momentary pause.

"What was that?" Mal asked, wide eyed and confused.

River raised her gaze off her food and smiled, "There's music."

– – - - -

The news broke overnight. 'The Lost are Found' was plastered on the San Francisco Chronicles and was broadcasted in every FedNet show. The Roughnecks were now known as the squad that managed to stay alive against seemingly unbeatable odds like Hawaii and getting lost in space not once but twice. Who would have thought we'd all be celebrities when we got back to Earth?

Good press was what SICON needed and we were the very definition of good press. However, every good reporter knows that behind the glossy pictures on the frontpage of the magazine there lies a hidden, sometimes darker story, in page 200. Everything that happened to the Roughnecks were to be kept top secret. SICON was investigating the Alliance was the last any of us heard about the matter. Captain Mal and his crew were never mentioned and never photographed. Private Ashley Anderson's condition was deemed to be a magnet for suspicion, a snag on the cover up. Much to everyone's disgust and protest, her whole military record concerning her involvement in Rico's Roughnecks was deleted. FedNet erased her from every strip of video submitted. Andy was never transferred to Rico's Roughnecks from Velasco's Vipers. Her record now reads that she was transferred to Intel's Virtual Command.

In the end, Andy was right. She was never a Roughneck. And when she woke up, she never spoke to or about Rico and Dizzy.

Citizens Lavigne, the McKenzie twins and Lee came to pick up take the unconscious Andy back home. One look at the downtrodden crew was all it took to offer them a place to stay. Apparently, that's what the Yellow Underground Project was all about-- bands helping lost people. That's when we found out that Andy was a runaway, disowned by her family and Sean Lavigne was from the orphanage across the street from where she used to take piano lessons. The rest was history. SICON agreed. It was perfect for them. They knew the truth and where else would SICON find four former infantry men and one fleet officer, Lavigne's wife, a stone's throw away from the crew?

Fame, the kind that had people following you around, lasted for a few months. Doc stayed in San Francisco practicing medicine less than an hour's commute from HQ. Jeffrey Gossard joined the engineering corps. Max Brutto and Carl Jenkins decided to stay in the military. Sgt. Zim married Sky Marshall Redwing.

Johnny Rico married Dizzy Flores-- before he left for officer's boot camp. :)


End file.
